


I Really Wish That You Could Help

by iftheskyisthelimit



Series: I Could Live Forever Here [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Child Abuse, Emotional Manipulation, Good Theo Raeken, Hallucinations, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Manipulation, Past Child Abuse, Post-Hell, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rape, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-03-12 09:13:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 14
Words: 47,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13544238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iftheskyisthelimit/pseuds/iftheskyisthelimit
Summary: Theo isn't coping well from being back in the real world after the events in hell and memories of his past. Liam notices this and tries to help but Theo keeps backing away from the help, as much as he wants the help that's being offered to him he knows doesn't deserve it... Liam is too determined, following his natural instinct, to crack through the walls that Theo puts up, knowing that there's something more going on...Eventual Alpha Liam and Thiam.... Taken from a Tumblr prompt last year about Theo not coping with PTSD which I don't think was ever written...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first thing I’ve written in a while, and my first venture into writing for Teen Wolf, but when I saw a prompt on Tumblr last year at some point regarding Theo with PTSD and working into eventual Thiam, I knew I had to write this! I apologise that it’s taken me so long to get it posted.
> 
>  
> 
> Taken from the prompt “This is how I want to see Thiam progress. I want Theo struggling, failing at life, PTSD-ing, messing up and wanting a little love/attention and then I want Liam, that one who used to be the baby of the pack, stepping up and just alpha-ing the shit out of Theo. At first Theo will act amused, then he’ll try to rebel against his natural instinct to submit. The more he rests the more Liam steps up. He brought Theo back. Theo is his responsibility.”
> 
>  
> 
> I’ve tried to stick to the prompt as best as I could, adding in some extra angst and details as the story progresses because I really can’t resist some good angst. Sorry if it’s not exactly what you were looking for but I hope you like it! I can’t tag the person who posted the prompt as they were anonymous.
> 
>  
> 
> This is the opening chapter, and it’s honestly grown into more than I thought when I started it… please do provide me with your thoughts/criticsims etc….

 

Theo wakes up with a start, gasping for breath as he jolts forward to sit up, his hand instantly moves to his chest, gripping his t-shirt into his fist over his fast beating heart as he reminds himself ‘ _it’s still there, it was just a dream…’_ his thoughts trail off as he looks around his surroundings, taking in the bedroom with it’s bare pale blue walls and solid wood floors, reminding himself that he’s back in the real world… back home. _‘Home…’_ he thinks of his parents, the ones he hadn’t seen since his childhood, well, since the dread doctors found him and… He stops that train of thought in its tracks as he looks to the clock on his bedside table which reads 02:36 - realising he won’t be getting back to sleep any time soon now, he gets out of bed and goes to the kitchen to get some water.

 

Turning off the water, he tries to steady the glass in his shaking hand as he sits down at the kitchen table. It’s too quiet he thinks, as images start flashing through his mind of family dinners around an all too similar table, his parents with huge smiles on their faces at the antics of their children, his dad helping him with his homework, him sitting on the floor playing with Tara before everything went wrong for the family _‘Tara…’_ That was enough to halt the images flashing through his mind as his eyes close and the all too familiar quiet voice “ _Ttthhheeeooo…”_ calls for him. As he opens his eyes again her voice stops, he knows she’s not here, knows that he got out, that he’s all alone in the world now… He sits back in the chair and lets the regret for everything that’s led him to this point wash over him, as the tears start to fall he folds in on himself, folding his arms on the table and resting his head there as he cries. He doesn’t even notice that he falls asleep like that until he wakes in the morning with a sore neck… 

 

Pushing himself up from the table as he rubs his neck, Theo glances around the gloomy looking kitchen, noticing that the blinds still closed as his senses start to return. “ _Ttthhheeeooo…”_ he hears Tara calling to him as he stands up. 

 

“No! You’re not real!” he shouts out loud this time as he punches the table hard enough to leave a little dent for emphasis. The resulting pain in his knuckles makes the voice stop. Only then does he hear his alarm clock ringing out from his bedroom, he runs up the stairs to switch it off. Only after it’s been stopped does he notice that it reads 08.00, _“great, only Monday and I’m already late!”._ He becomes a blur in the room as he drops the clock on the bed, picks up his crumpled clothes that he dropped on the floor last night, dresses and runs out the door to school almost all at once.

 

 

  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * 



 

As they walk into the classroom Liam, Hayden and Mason take their seats at the back table in the room, continuing their conversation from the corridor “I just don’t see how he’s all of sudden our problem?” Hayden shrugs as she questions Liam. 

 

He sighs, knowing that they won’t understand his train of thought, before he looks up from his books “We freed him, and like it or not he did help us out…”

 

“Yeah, but that doesn’t make us responsible for him.” Hayden cuts in determinedly, adding “Did you forget everything he did?Why we put him there in the first place?”

 

Liam explains “No… what I’m saying is when we brought him back you saw what he was like, I mean, I just think that maybe he’s paid for everything he did.” That earns him two sets of widened eyes that are more than ready to argue back with him. He scrambles to continue before they can cut him off “Look, somethings not right with Theo, and I think that maybe… maybe we should check it out. Noshiko told us whatever happened next was our responsibly… I mean what if he goes off the deep end and we stood by and did nothing?”

 

Mason answers before Hayden can cut in again, trying to find a middle ground to keep everyone happy “I get what you’re saying Liam, I do… but I can’t forget everything that happened either, not what he did to you guys and Corey…” At Liams sigh he leans over the table and puts his hand on his shoulder “Yeah, I get that he also helped us save Corey too, and I’m not saying don’t try to help if you think something’s gonna happen, but remember everything he said and did before, that’s all… If you wanna check it out then you should, but just be careful is all.”

 

Liam sighs, understanding what his friend is saying “Yeah I know, but you can’t say you haven’t noticed anything weird about him since everything went back to normal.”

 

The teacher starts calling out the register, effectively ending their conversation for now, everyone present except for Theo, which earns both Hayden and Mason an imploring look from Liam and he mouths across the table ‘see..’. After taking registration she starts to walk around the class explaining what they’ll be doing today “So… this morning we’ll be studying animal biology and anatomy some more…” as half the class groans and she holds her hands up in a surrendering motion as she adds “… wait till you hear me out guys… We’ll be dissecting and practicing removing tissues.” A student asks why, and she starts to explain that they need practical experience to understand the complexity of the task at hand when they’ll be writing about it later, as the door bursts open and Theo bursts through as he adjusts his hoodie. “Nice of you to join us Mr Raeken…” she says in a disapproving tone, and then carries on “…there’s a seat at the back” as she points to the table that Liam, Hayden and Mason are seated around. He mutters an apology for being late and grimaces as he notices who is sitting at the table.

 

He’s thankful for the teacher not drawing any more attention as she continues talking to the class as he quickly takes the seat next to Liam, although he doesn’t really hear a word of what she’s saying, but it means that the group won’t be able to comment on his lateness, he really can't deal with their snarky comments right now, as he starts to think about last night again. He snaps back to being in the classroom as Hayden stands up abruptly and walks away, noticing one person from each group doing the same, so he assumes its to collect the assignments. “Dude, you ok?” Liam asks as he looks genuinely concerned. Theo tries to force what he hopes is his best poker face as he says “Yeah I’m fine, just slept in.” he knows he fell short though when Liam only nods in response, his expression says more than words ever could, but he thankfully drops the topic as Hayden returns with four silver trays and puts them in the middle of their table. 

 

They each grab one and Theo follows suit, not even noticing what was in them until he sets his down and looks and to see a frog lying on its back. ‘ _oh no…’_ his train of thought is stopped in its tracks as the teacher begins to explain what they’ll be doing in great detail, like he didn’t already know where this was leading. _‘I can do it, it’s just a dead frog… it’s not…’_ as his stomach flips when he teachers voice continuing “so pick up your scalpels, cut down and extract the tissues and samples listed your assignment sheets… remember guys, group work. Take a task each.”

 

Mason takes the sheet and reads “Okay… so… identify sex and sexual organs, lungs, liver, kidney, heart…” _‘…Tthheeoo…’_ the room flashes dark for a second and Theo snaps back to look at Mason as the boy continues “…how do we wanna do this?” 

 

Thinking it’ll be the task that stops him having a full blown panic attack in the middle of the class Theo choses identifying the sexual organs task. He dives right in to it, telling himself that if he keeps focusing on the task at hand he won’t need to look up and see what the others chose and see them cutting the poor things heart, he doesn’t think he could see that after seeing Taras heart being pulled out of him and still beating in her hands on repeat.

 

Liam gives Mason and Hayden a pointed look at the way Theo picks up his scalpel and stabs it into the frog as though it personally attacked him. He looks back to Theo who has stopped moving and is looking down at his hand “Dude, you ok?” he asks aiming for sounding concerned.

 

Theo flinches a little at his words as though Liam startled him, anyone else would have missed it but thanks to the enhanced senses Liam didn’t. “I’m fine Dunbar, just trying to get on with this.” Theo replies, trying to shrug off the concern. 

 

“You sure?” Liam asks gently trying to prod, he knows theres something more going on here, he’s had the feeling anytime he seen Theo over the summer break but he didn’t want to intrude, and now they’ve been back at school a week and he’s seen the chimera looking slightly more unravelled each day, he’s not going to let it drop. Theo looks up at him and then quickly looks over to Hayden and Mason before returning his eyes to Liam. 

 

An annoyed look crosses his face as he opens his mouth to reply and tell Liam to shut up and drop it, he’s cut off by Hayden sighing loudly and saying “Liam. He’s fine, he just said so. Let it drop” in a tone that left Theo in no doubt that her feelings toward him hadn’t changed even after the help he’d given them with the ghost riders. He looked at Liam while pointing at Hayden with his free hand and said “What she said. I’m fine.” before looking back down to the task at hand and cutting into the frog a little further as a blank look crosses his face. Liam didn’t buy it at all but he wasn’t going to keep pushing Theo in the middle of class.

 

As Theo pushes the scalpel up the body and he sees the red insides of the animal he feels the all too familiar chill settle over him and Taras voice getting closer as she playfully calls his name “T _ttttthhhhheeeooooo”_ until he could feel the cold of her standing behind him. He starts breathing more quickly as his heart beats faster, as the table in front of his morphs into the metal slab table in the dark morgue he’s been in too many times before _‘no no no no’_ Her cold fingers touch his back and he hears her voice whisper his name, becoming louder as it merges with a deeper, louder, and equally familiar voice. He squeezes his eyes shut and opens them to see Liam in front of him looking into his eyes saying “Theo… Theo you ok?”.He take a breath and feels himself grounded in the moment, reminds himself that he’s in class. He opens his mouth to say he’s fine, but he knows he can’t shrug off the concern as easily this time. He turns to look behind him, reassuring himself that Tara isn’t there, ready to rip her heart out of his back. When he turns however he sees a dark shadow standing behind him. He can’t be here, he cant deal with cutting open animals and their organs and the pack that he can never be accepted by. In one swift motion he grabs his bag from the floor, pushing his chair back as he does and runs out of the class to the collective calls of “Theo? Theo1” from both Liam and their teacher…


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so so much for all the Kudos and kind words/encouragement about this story... I only hope I can live up to the expecations as we go on…  
> \- Special thanks to *sofiaaaaa* for the help on here and on Tumblr, I really do appreciate it!!
> 
> I also should have added in the notes for the first chapter that I’m changing a few things from the show here, where Theo is back living at the house that he was at with his fake parents. And I’m setting this story roughly just around the beginning of the Anukite and hunters storyline so there will be aspects of fear etc as the story goes on…

 

Liam sits at the desk in the library later that night zoning out of the conversation, thinking back to what had happened with Theo earlier that day. He’d tried to chase after him but by the time he’d gotten into the hallway the chimera had vanished, leaving behind a scent that swam somewhere between fear, terror and deep sadness lingering into one. It had stunned Liam to the point that it was impossible to get a read on which direction Theo had gone, so he’d turned back into class. “Liam! Are you even listening?” Haydens voice cuts into his thoughts snapping him back to the library.

“I, uh, sorry, what?” he asks and tries to look sheepish as he sits up and tries to focus himself in moment. 

“I was saying that my sister is still a little weird about everything thats happened, she’s even talking about moving away.” Hayden replies with a sad look as she turns to the side in her chair to look at him. He wants to reply, to say what she obviously wants to hear him say, that she should stay, but he’s still to focused on the events from ealier.

“Does she know about the ghost riders?” Corey asks looking between the two from across the table.

Hayden looks across to Corey as she sighs, and Liam knows its driected at him and what he didn’t say. “No she still doesn’t know. I thought about telling her, I mean she knows there’s something weird… and I guess there’s already two people at the station who know all about it, and she’s seen her share of supernatural weirdness… but I’m not sure…” she looks back at Liam “What do you think?” she asks.

He pauses to think about it before answering “I don’t think it would hurt, and it would explain why you keep forgetting to pick up your prescriptions at least… Yeah, she’s seen her a lot of stuff so it’s not the worst idea.” 

The conversation stops as they all go back to their assingments before Corey asks “So… what exactly do we think happened with Theo earlier? Mason told me some of it.”

Liam can feel Hayden roll her eyes without even seeing it, and he’s not sure what it is about her attitude towards the topic of Theo lately that’s starting to grate on him, so he quickly answers before she can. “Honestly? I’m not even sure… He showed up late for class, sat down and looked pretty zoned out the whole time. It kinda looked like he was freaked out when we had to dissect the frogs and he ran out of class.” 

Corey frowns thoughtfully as Mason adds in “Liam tried to follow him” as he gestures across the table to Liam before he continues “but he couldn’t get a read.”

“I don’t even know why we’re all suddenly concerned about Theo. Remember what he did to all of us…” Hayden trails off as she looks to Liam “And yeah, I know. He helped us out a few times with the ghost riders. But that still doesn’t make him a great person all of a sudden and erase everything else…”

Liam can feel his anger starting to bubble before Mason replies “Yeah, I know what you mean, but I’m not sure that we shouldn’t even think about checking it out.”

Hayden replies “He’s probably up to no good, building a new pack or finding the next bad guys and trying to get on their good side. That’s why he’s so distracted”

“I really don’t think that’s the case. Those scents… that’s… that’s not something you can fake I don’t think.” Liam says as his mind questions _‘how could she miss those?’_

Corey asks “What scents?” as Mason continues his question “You never mentioned any scents when you came back in to class?”

“Yeah we were kind of busy with our projects and then I forgot about it till now” Liam states before answering “It was like terror, fear and sadness all mixed into one… I know he faked things in the past, but I don't think he faked his grief for his sister at the bridge that night and I don’t think he faked those either, they were too raw.”

“Well, I don’t think this is the Theo we all knew, especially Hayden and me…” Corey says earning a glare from Hayden as he carries on “Somethings thrown him. I think that yeah, be careful given his history with all of us on some level, but it can’t hurt to look into it further regardless of the outcome.”

Mason adds in “Coreys right, I mean if there is something genuinely going on with him then it won’t hurt to see what it is if it’s gonna disrupt things this much. But also if he is upto no good then we find that out and deal with that too.”

Liam nods before turning to Hayden as she looks back at him “I know you don’t like it, and I’m not asking you to agree with it either, but I think this is something that we, I, need to do” Hayden mutters an ok as she nods and turns back to start writing her notes again. Liam looks at Corey and Mason and says “I’ll try to check out whats happening with him tomorrow.”

  

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

As he’s sitting eating lunch the next day, Theo is thankful for the small victories in life today… he’d managed to get about four hours of nightmare free sleep, then another 3 after he’d calmed down, and the big plus is that he’s managed to avoid Liam and his mini pack all morning. He knows he can’t really avoid them forever, there’s still the next biology class later this week to get through… but he’ll take the small breaks when he can get them, since he’s not ready for the questions he knows he’ll have to face from them. As he looks up from his lunch around the hall, he sees the four of them sitting around a table laughing and looking carefree, almost as though they were just normal teenage friends at a normal school in any other town. He wonders how they manage it, he knows that although he’d like to be that carefree and almost normal, he can’t… he’s damaged goods and he contaminates everything he touches. The all too familiar longing feeling settles in his stomach, the same one that he’s felt anytime he’s been in their company for longer than ten minutes since they’d brought him back. He’s well aware he doesn’t deserve it either, nor does he deserve their acceptance, and he tries to convince himself that he doesn’t damn well want it either, but he falls well short. _‘They’d never accept you… you were right to refuse them. You’d only hurt them…’_ Taras voice echos in his head _‘…you don’t deserve it.’_ And that’s the kicker, because he already knows that, his entire life has been a lesson in this fact, he’s hurt almost everyone who’s gotten close to him eventually. Even the dread doctors had turned their backs on him eventually, told him in the end that he was ultimately a failure, after they’d built him up to feel like he’d finally becoming something…

Liam is sitting with Mason, Corey and Hayden laughing about the gaming session they’d all had last night and how Hayden had beaten the three of them single handedly at the game that they’d spent the last year perfecting their skills on. “Im just that good is all…” she jokes and shrugs her shoulders as Liam starts to feel like someone is staring at him. He looks up from his plate and he sees Theo looking over at them with what he’d swear was somewhere between a sad and longing expression. As soon as he meets Theos eyes the chimera looks away and leaves his seat in one motion, quickly walking towards the door of the dining hall. 

“Um… I’ll be right back guys..” He tells the others as he practically jumps out of his seat to follow Theo. He’s not missing this chance to try and speak to him to see what’s going on there since he’s pretty sure that Theo will do anything to avoid them now. At their collective questioning of where he was going he quickly mutters “Bathroom” and rushes towards the door so he doesn’t lose track of Theo again.

He finds Theo stuffing his backpack into his locker as though it had physically harmed him. “Hey” he tries to open the conversation as he approaches. Theo just looks at him from the side of his eyes and then goes back to moving things around his locker. Liam is pretty sure that it’s an attempt to make himself look busy, he decides that it’s never going to be an easy conversation to have so he jumps right in “What’s going on with you?”

Theos arms go still as he turns his head with an incredulous look on his face “What you do mean whats going on with me?” 

“I mean like yesterday in class…” Theo raises his eyebrow questioningly at Liam causing him to pause before he continues “You were late and it looked like you’d barely slept, then you ran out of class when we started cutting up the frogs.” 

Theo smirks at Liam as he thinks how awkward he looks right now before deciding to play with him a little, because if it helps him avoid his thoughts for five minutes and he can rile up Liam at the same time then that’s a winner in his books. He turns around to face Liam as he leans his arm on his open locker before asking “Awww how sweet, you concerned about me?”

Liam almost instantly falls into Theos deflection tactic “You know what….” he starts to say before he stops himself, this wasn’t what he came here for. He takes a breath to simmer down his anger “Yeah, actually. I was just wondering if everything was ok or if there was anything that we needed to know about?”

_‘Damn’_ Theo thinks. He tries another way to deflect the question as he sighs “Yeah I’m fine. Everything is fine. I was sick and I slept in and then the class didn’t help any…”

Liam wonders if Theo sees the word dummy scrolled across his forehead when he looks at him. “Yeah, uh, just one thing though… we don’t really get sick?” 

Theo feels Liams words hit him a lot worse than they should, he knows this, but he can’t help the way they almost stab him in the back. He also can’t help his words, or the hurt tone that he speaks them in “You guys might not… but I’m not one of you…” He knows he’s not pack, always kept on the outside, and he knows he’s not a real supernatural where it counts, he was made this way after all.

“Wait… what?” Liam asks as he tries to catch up the sudden change of direction in the conversation. “Obviously your’re not, you didn’t wanna be…” He trails off as Theo just shrugs his shoulders and looks down at the ground. There’s definitely somethng bigger going on here, and his earlier instinct that all is not well with Theo is only being fed by this conversation. He runs his hand through his hair as he takes a breath tries a more gentle approach “Theo, we can help you with whatever is happening. You just need to let us. 

“Nah. They don’t care… I’m not stupid. I know what you all think of me.” He knows in an instant that he’s given away too much by the way Liams face practically lights up with curiosity. 

“Can you blame them? After everything you’ve done?” Liam instantly regrets his words at the way Theo almost folds in on himself.

He tries to cover it up by putting on his trademark smirk and carefree tone as he looks back up at Liam “Besides… there’s nothing even going on.” He shrugs for emphasis “Don’t worry, if there is you’ll be the first one to know baby alpha.” He closes his locker as he starts to walk, then he stops and pats Liams shoulder “Also, maybe you should actually go to the bathroom before they get suspicious?”

Liam shrinks back a little as he looks puzzled “You heard that?”

Theo grins as he shakes his head and replies “Advanced hearing remember?” before he walks away leaving Liam standing there feeling like he’d taken ten steps forward and forty backwards in solving the mystery that is surrounding Theo Raeken.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had originally planned to add some more development to just what Theo is going through and some of his past at the end of this chapter, but I decided it would be probably be too long and would look better as its own chapter, so I broke the chapter at this point, so apologies if it seems like an abrupt end to this chapter. I'm writing the rest of that part up at the moment so I should hopefully have it posted tomorrow or Saturday at the very latest...
> 
> As always, this is unbeta'd so any and all mistakes are my own... but if anyone is willing to help me with that I'd be very greatful
> 
> Please do let me know your thoughts too whether good or bad! Thank as always for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you everyone again for the warm reception that this is receiving, and for all the Kudos & Comments and shares. I was honestly so nervous about posting after having taken a break from wiritng for a good while, but you’ve all been so wonderful!
> 
> As mentioned in the previous chapter, this is a slightly shorter chapter, but one which is also an important one in the development of this story and also a very Theo centric chapter, I’ve divided it up as it was the only way to really write it, you’ll see what I mean without giving too much away just now… but the section in itallics is all a memory.
> 
> *Trigger warnings* for suicidal thoughts and mentions of abuse in this chapter

Later that night Theo is sitting at his dining table with his homework scattered across it, but he can’t switch off his mind from returning to his earlier conversation with Liam at school, why did he suddenly want help him he keeps asking himself. He’d done his best to push him away during the summer… Sure, Liam had offered him the chance to become an ally and join them as the older pack memebers were preparing to leave for college, but he’d turned the offer down. Liams offer echoes in his memory _‘You could help us you know? Maybe if you show them you’re not a threat anymore like you told us at the station, they might come around?’_ Theo however, didn’t feel like he had to prove himself to any of them, which was what the offer had felt like, a probabtion period of sorts… because after almost sacrificing himself on more than one occasion to help them all survive, he still has to prove himself. He knows looking back that he maybe should have taken the offer, lone supernaturals rarely do well on their own, let alone in this damn town. Then he reminds himself as Taras words from earlier roll around his mind that he’d only have hurt them all in the end, after all, they didn’t need him at all, whereas he needed the protection of a pack… and there was something brewing, something in the air of Beacon Hills, and even he could feel it.

_‘Ttttthhhheeeeoooo’_ Taras voice starts rolling around his head, blocking out any other thoughts as the room fades to a darker version of itself for a split second before he’s back in the brightly light dining room again. His heart speeds up as he automatically moves his hand to his chest rolls his eyes “Not again…” he whispers to the empty room. _‘You don’t deserve their help. You know that…’_ He could just about handle the nightmares but when he’d started hearing her voice shortly after he’d turned down the offer that Liam had made, when she had started reminding him of what he’s always known deep down… things got so much worse. “Why can’t you just leave me alone? I’ve paid…” he asks the voice as his own voice starts to break. As though on cue her figure appears in front of him before she blinks away again. This makes him jump up from his seat and look around the room as her voice calls for him again in a more playful toying tone _‘Ttthheeoo…’_ . “Enough!” he shouts as he grabs the table and flips it over, scattering his homework across the room with it. He tries to slow his heart rate and breathing down as the room goes quiet. He looks around the room at the scattered remains of his homework and the overturned table and chair, and decides he’ll deal with it later… he has a whole night where he’s not gonna sleep now anyway that he can use to clear it up. He walks into the sitting room  & plops himself onto the couch as he begins flicking through the tv, settling on a crime show. The sleep he’s been missing catches up with him quickly as he dozes off on the couch. He doesnt even have peace in his dream this time as Theo dreams about the time that his parents had taken their children to Disney World in Florida…

 

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THEOS DREAM

_Tara and Theo are playing table tennis in the bar at the hotel as their parents sit at their table having a few drinks while they wait for their food to be delivered. They play their game until their dad comes over to bring them back to the table. “Theo…” he clasps his five year old sons shoulder as the boy stops playing and puts the bat back on the table “… Tara, foods on the table lets go.” Tara walks in front as their dad pulls Theo close while they walk back towards their dinner._

_As they approach the mother and daugher, Tara is chatting animatedly as they get to the table she finishes her sentence “and I beat him at two games mom!” Their mom raises her eyebrows in wonder and amusement._

_“You need to up your game son….” their dad says as Theo looks down at the ground in disappointment._

_“Jonathan… he’s only five” their mom laughs she hugs her son before telling him to take a seat and the family eat their dinner in silence._

_After dinner the plates had been cleared away and the kids had been amusing themselves with a game of snap, using the pack of cards they had gotten at the Disney shop earlier in the day. “Don’t lose this one son, it’s a tie just now!” Jonathan winks at his son._

_“Not everything is a competition!” their mom snaps at their dad as the kids go back to their game._

_“Maybe not to you Annie, but then what would you know?” he snaps back at his wife. She starts to shake her head and he continues “And what paid for this damn trip? Huh? My competitive nature, thats what. If it wasn’t for that I’d have never got the business off the ground and we’d never be here…”_

_Their mom stands up, effectively cutting off their father, as she speaks quietly “Theo, Tara, pack that up, we’re back back to the room now.” They know better than to beg to stay a little longer and obediently pack up the cards and stand up, following their parents out of the bar as the other guests follow them with their eyes._

_Back in their suite the arguement continues in their parents bedroom as the two kids unpack their cards and continue their game “Start scores again” Theo tells his sister determindely._

_She shakes her head “Nu-uh, you know thats not the rules” Tara tells him as she laughs and deals the cards._

_The voices in the bedroom grow louder until they can make our their parents agruement as their mom shouts “We never asked you for any of it and you know it! You chose to work all those hours.”_

_“Yeah but then who’d have paid for your expensive wardrobe, or the holidays, or the damn kids Annie? Who?” Jonathan replies and everything goes silent. The kids look at each other as their mom comes into the sitting room holding her cheek. Their father follows her out as he gestures around the room, still shouting at her “I pay for all of this, I get to blow off some damn steam if I want.”_

_She rounds on him “No-one is saying that you shouldn’t, but for gods sake! Ease up on the kids, especially Theo! He’s only five!”_

_“Yeah well maybe if he’d win at something for once I wouldn’t have to be so tough on him!” Jonathan shouts back to his wife as he stalks towards her raising his hand._

_Tara starts to cry loudly at this, while Theo stands dumbstruck looking between his parents, their mom walks over to settle Tara and speaks to her daughter “It’s okay honey, come on guys, lets go to bed” as she starts to shoo the children into their bedroom._

_Their dad puts his hand on Theos shoulder as he sighs and says in a sorrowful tone “Wait, I’m gonna speak to Theo a minute.” At his wifes imploring glare he replies “Just to apologise and explain what I meant to him”_

_Annie nods as she moves Tara in to the kids bedroom “Okay, I’ll make sure Tara is okay, come to bed soon Theo okay sweetie? We’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow.” before she closes the bedroom door behind them._

_His dads grip on his shoulder tightens to the point that it starts to hurt. As Theo gasps and starts to cry his dad leans down and whispers to him “Now Theo, that won’t do you any good will it? You know what happens next…”_

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Theo wakes with a jump as he shakes and gasps for breath, he feels his sweat sticking his top to his body. He wipes his forehead as he stands up, he can’t handle this, if it’s not Tara haunting his dreams then it’s the other memories returning, the ones that he had buried so deep he thought that they’d never find a way to the surface. It suddenly feels like the walls are closing in on him and he can’t breathe and everything is just too much now. He howls and runs, runs from the house and leaves the back door wide open and into the woods behind the house. 

He doesnt even realise what it is that he’s been running towards, too focused on just running away from his thoughts, until he skids to a stop in the middle of the wooden bridge, and he laughs a small and bitter chuckle at the irony of it all… becuase of course he would have to end up coming here. As he sits down he lets his legs dangle over the edge of the bridge and loses himself in a new set of thoughts. Why did he have to dream about that? He thinks he’d almost prefer Tara haunting his dreams. 

The thoughts running through his mind are quickly interupted as something catches his eye, he looks up from the water flowing under him to a little further up the stream to see Tara in the water and leaning against the rocks, reaching out for him _‘Theo’_ he hears her shaky voice whisper to him. He jolts as her image blinks and changes, this version of Tara is sprawled against the rocks, but this one is lifeless and she has a gaping hole in her chest, her chest cavity torn open… Her eyes open and she reaches for him once again, her voice this time taking on a more sinister tone _‘Tttthhhheeeooo…’_ as she stands up and starts walking towards the bridge. “No! No no no no…” Theo whispers as he scrambles backwards on the bridge. Shes climbing up from the river and he can see her crawling over towards him. Just as she gets on top of him and puts her fingers around where her heart rests in his chest Tara disappears as though she was never even there. 

Theo looks around and sits himself up on the ground as he feels over his chest to check for any damage that he already knows won’t be there, its never there. As his breathing starts to calm down, Theo looks at the railings of the bridge, his posture and breathing suddenly become more confident than they’ve been since Liam brought him back. 

He knows know why he ran here… why he would always have ended up coming back here… it all makes sense now. As he moves towards the railing and climbs up to stand on the top of it he can sense someone standing behind him. He tells Tara “It’s okay, I know what I have to do now.”

“Theo? What? What are you doing?” Theo defintely wasn’t expecting an asnwer, Tara never answers him no matter how much he tries to speak to her. He also wasn’t expecting the answer to be from Liam as the boys scent starts to cloud with concern as he steps closer. 

He can’t turn round to look at the werewolf. He knows how this has to end now… “What I have to. I’m gonna jump.” he answers as thought its the most logical thing in the world, and in many ways to Theo, it really is.

“Wait… you’re what? Why? Come down and tell me what’s going on Theo?” Liam scrambles his words and it sounds like he’s almost begging Theo to come down. A growing part of him really wants comply, to do what Liam is telling him to but he can’t.

“I… I have to” Theo replies as he focuses on the water below. Its not a far jump, and the water isn’t deep enough, but he knows if he lands just right that he can do it.

“No you don’t. Please come down. Look, whatever it is, I’ll help.” Liam tries to reason with him again and his voice is starting to sound as desperate as Theo is feeling.

“It’s the only way I can be free…” Theo replies as he turns to look at Liam with tears welling in his eyes as he readies himself to jump.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... I'm sorry. That was very angsty and not happy at all and I can only apologise lol. 
> 
> As always, please let me know your thoughts, if you loved it, if you have any constructive criticism... I'd love to hear it all :) 
> 
> Currently working on the next chapter at the moment so the next update will be through the week!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah… woah… woah… you guys!!!! I am honestly so greatful for each and every response to the previous chapter, I genuinely didn’t expect that response, so thank you all so so very much for all your comments & kudos! Judging from the response, I promise if I do another heavy chapter like that (which I probably will) I will include a heavy angst or tissues needed warning haha!
> 
> I’m picking this chapter up directly from where I left off… and it is quite angsty but I hope not so much as last chapter…

“I… I have to” Theo replies as he focuses on the water below. It's not a far jump, and the water isn’t deep enough, but he knows if he lands just right that he can do it.

“No, you don’t. Please come down. Look, whatever it is, I’ll help.” Liam tries to reason with him again and his voice is starting to sound as desperate as Theo is feeling.

“It’s the only way I can be free…” Theo replies as he turns to look at Liam with tears welling in his eyes as he readies himself to jump.

Liam can see the moment that Theo prepares himself to jump, as the chimera bends his knees ever so slightly and takes a deep breath. _‘Nonono’_ the thinks to himself as Theos feet rise up to their tip toes on the small ledge. He jumps up and grabs the chimera by the waist, pulling him backwards. They both land with a thud on the wooden bridge with a sound of “ooof” as Theos breath leaves him from the landing, and Liams breath leaves him at the impact of Theo landing on top of him. Almost as soon as they land Theo starts shouting “What the hell Liam?” as he struggles and wrestles to get out of Liams grip. 

Liam can’t quite fit the words and feelings he has running through his mind at what he’s just witnessed into a coherent sentence as he tries to keep his grip on Theo, so he throws the question back at him “What the hell was that Theo?” He guesses that his words have some kind of impact when Theo suddenly stops trying to fight his way out of his grip. He releases his hold slightly, and Theo instantly rolls off of him and into a sitting position as Liam follows suit. “Theo?” he tries again, more gentle this time as he sees Theos tear stained face looking at him.

Theo shakes his head ‘ _he won’t understand’_ “You don’t understand…” he trails off as he looks down. If he can’t work out how he’s feeling, how he thought this would have solved his problems, he’s not sure how he can even begin to explain it to someone else…

Liam simply asks “Then make me?” He’s not sure what’s happened to Theo to make him think that this was his only option, he doesn’t know who or what Theo needs to be free from, but he’s damn sure that for Theo Raeken being driven to looking like that, to showing any vulnerability it has to be bad. And he’s already promising himself that whatever put that look on Theos face, he will personally hunt down and make it pay.

Theo looks back up at Liam, he smells the earnest scent coming off of Liam, he knows the boy wants to help him, but he can’t let anyone know, it’s his punishment for everything that he’s done… everything that he’s been. No-one else needs to be let in on that. He needs Liam to stop prodding at this. He sighs before looking back to Liam “I… I can’t….”

Liam tenses slightly before he asks “Why?” When Theo looks back down to the ground he asks again “Theo? Why?”

Theo stands up quickly as he shouts “I just can’t. Okay?” He starts to walk away, he can’t take this, he hears Liam start to follow him. He stops and looks over his shoulder as he says “Look… just leave me alone.”

Liam squares his shoulders as he determinedly states “After that? No. No way.” He’s not about to walk away, leaving Theo alone after what he’s just seen. 

“Yeah well I’m leaving…” Theo murmurs as he starts walking back to his house. He hears Liam follow him again, he turns to look back as he keeps walking. Now he just needs to be away from here.

Liam senses the question before Theo can even ask it, so he replies “I’m coming with you dude…” Theo stops and narrows his eyes as though he’s ready to argue the point that he wants to be left alone. Liam raises his hands out to his side a little to emphasize his point “I’m not leaving you alone tonight. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want, but I’m not leaving you alone…” Theo accepts this and turns his head as he starts walking again.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

 

They get back to the house as Theo leads Liam in through the back door, which is still lying half open from where it bounced off the wall in his haste to get out. Theo comes to a stop halfway to the couch as he hears Liam gasp, turning as he sees the other boy looking around the dining area as his eyes scan the overturned table and papers thrown around the room. There’s a huge part of him that’s just willing Liam to say something about the mess, just so that he can throw him out, the smaller part of him, however, is telling him to accept the help that’s being offered. Liam looks up and meets his eyes but he simply looks away as he walks past him and into the sitting room, Theo follows and they both sit down on opposite seats facing each other.

The atmosphere is strained as Liam breaks it by standing up and walking towards the dining room. Theo opens his mouth to try to tell him to just leave it, and him alone, but the words die on his lips as Liam quickly appears before him again pushing a glass of cold water into his hands. He nods his thanks and takes a long drink as Liam sits back down. Theo decides to ask the question that’s been running through his mind since Liam pulled him off the ledge, clearing his throat which still feels too tight to speak he asks softly “Hey… how’d you find me?”

Liam looks up from the spot he’d been looking at on the floor, he’s startled at the soft and almost broken sound of Theos voice but he’s not about to show it, he’s heard enough from his step dad about how to deal with similar situations. “I heard your howl, I thought you might have been attacked by the sound of it… so I ran here and followed your scent out to the woods…” He trails off as he sees Theo absorbing the information, looking as though he hadn’t even thought anyone would have listened or cared.

Theo simply replies “Oh…” as he tries regain some composure, looks down to the floor as he does. He looks back to Liam “Didn’t know you cared so much baby alpha…” he tries to brush off the seriousness with snarkiness but it falls flat as Liam chuckles once and fixes him with a pointed look. He stands up while saying “Well as you can see I’m fine, so um… you can go now” as he walks over to, and opens the front door.

Liam stays in his seat and sighs “No you’re not fine…” Theo opens his mouth to protest but Liam holds a hand out to cut him off as he continues “… you don’t wanna talk about whatever it is, and that’s fine. But whatever drove you standing on the ledge of the bridge isn’t gonna go away. So I’m staying tonight.” Liam pinpoints the moment Theos sadness turns to anger.

“What am I on suicide watch now?” he questions as he slams the door closed and walks back over to where Liam is still sitting.

Liam stands up so that they are almost nose to nose and replies too harshly “No Theo, you’re not on suicide watch, that might require you actually admitting you have a problem.” 

Theo sags, the tension leaving his body as Liams words hit him like a brick to his head, he backs away a little and tries a different approach “Yeah well you can’t stay, school in the morning and all…”

“We can miss one day I’m sure” Liam determinedly replies, he’s not leaving Theo alone after what he saw and nothing will change his mind on this.

“I wasn’t going” Theo shortly states as he picks up his glass and takes another long drink.

Liam uses a more gentle tone this time “Me either. I could use a days break anyways…” 

Theo looks back to the floor and then around the room, basically anywhere but at Liam as he quietly says “Um… well I don’t have a guest room or anything so…” _‘can’t let him see upstairs?’_ Taras voice questions as he tried to ignore her. 

Liam points towards the couch as Theo looks back at him “Couch is fine for me.”

Theo nods and turns to head upstairs before he turns back “Hey Liam?” Liam looks up from where he’s putting cushions down to make a pillow on the couch, raising his eyebrows questioningly. “Thanks.” 

Liam looks a little surprised at this, Theo can see him covering it quickly as he simply nods and replies “Anytime” he simply says. Theo nods and leaves the sitting room walking up the stairs.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Liam wakes up with a start to the scent of fear, it’s so strong that it takes him a while to figure out where he is as he sits up. It’s almost as though the scent is weighing down on him, and he wonders what the hell is happening. Then he hears the strangled sounds of “nnoo, no… stop” and choked off whimpers. _‘Theo!’_ he realises and is snapped back to awareness instantly. He runs up the stairs two at a time as he follows where the sounds are coming from, extending his claws and getting ready fight whatever is attacking Theo. He practically barrels through the bedroom door, coming to a sudden stop when he sees nothing else in the room except Theo lying on the bed gripping his chest in the throws of a serious looking nightmare. He whimpers again as he cries out “you don’t have to stop…” and Liam knows he’s seen that movement and heard those words from him before.

He walks over to the bed and Liam reaches out to shake Theos shoulder as he says quietly “Theo…” the chimera only tenses more in his sleep at this. He decides to try shake a little harder “Theo, hey Theo.”

Theo gasps and jumps into a sitting position as he shouts “No!” while lashing out at the arm touching his shoulder. 

Liam jumps back just in time to avoid getting scratched by Theos claws as he gently says “I heard you having a nightmare…” 

“Uh… thanks for waking me” Theo replies as he runs his hand through his hair before gesturing at Liams arm “Sorry about…”

“It’s okay you didn't get me. Do you want more water?” Liam asks him as he looks him up and down.

Theo shakes his head as he lies back down trying to brush off the concern “No, I’m okay. Go back to sleep.”

Liam walks over to the door before turning and asking “You sure?” Theo is still looking at him like he wants to say something more, but he stops himself by nodding and pulling the covers back up. Liam nods and walks away, closing the door and going back downstairs. He knows he won’t get any more sleep tonight but if Theo needs it then he can stay awake and wait until the morning… 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

 

Theo comes downstairs in the morning still rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he smells toast and last night comes flooding back to him in all its gory details. He’s shocked that Liam not only stopped him from jumping but stayed the night just to make sure he was okay and wouldn’t try it again. He had expected to be interrogated about what had happened, but instead Liam had been accepting that he wasn’t able to and simply just stayed with him. 

As he walks through the sitting room into the kitchen he sees Liam standing by the toaster. He looks up and holds out a plate to Theo who takes it without a word and goes to sit down. It's only then he realises that the table and chairs have all been put back to their original positions and his homework and notes are in a pile at the other end of the table. “Ummm…?” he questions.

Liam is walking over to the table “Yeah I wasn’t tired…” then as an after thought he adds “… is that okay?” as he takes a seat at the table.

“No… um… yeah. Thanks” Theo is dumbfounded as he follows suit and sits at the table. 

Liam thinks this is the first time he’s seen Theo genuinely caught off guard and speechless. He likes that look on his face, it’s not the same guarded carefree expression that he’s grown so used to seeing. He needs to know at least some of what happened last night so he decides to start by asking “What was your nightmare about?”

Theo freezes almost instantly mid bite at the question and puts his toast back on the plate. He’s still looking down at the plate as he replies “My sister…”

“Tara?” Liam questions and Theo just nods. “What was she doing?” 

Theo looks up at him, and Liam feels his stomach turn at the fear in Theos eyes as he replies in an almost emotionless voice “Taking her heart back.”

“Oh… on my god…” Liam gasps as the horror shows on his face.

Theo snaps back a little to himself as he thinks _‘you have no idea…’_ and he tells Liam “Yeah. Thanks for snapping me out of it.” Making it clear he’s not going to give any more away now, he picks up his toast and continues eating.

Liam isn’t sure he can bear to eat anything now after the imagery in his head of Theo having his heart taken back by his sister. “So… um… are you gonna be okay?” he awkwardly asks, not sure how else to start the conversation.

Theo smirks a little, still amused how awkward he can still be, despite being so eager to help. He nods “Yeah I’ll be okay, just got stuff to work out but I’ll be fine.”

“Okay… I should get home and pretend to be sick I guess for missing school” Liam stands up. “You know where I am if you need anything right?” he half asks and half tells Theo.

“I know. Thanks.” Theo states, he’s never been one to show his emotions but he conveys his thanks in his tone, after all, what Liam done for him last night is more than anyone has done for him in a long time… probably ever. As Liam opens the back door Theo says “Wait…” Liam turns to face him and he continues “Don’t… you won’t tell them?”

Liam sighs “They’re our friends, they would want to help…”

Theo cuts him off “Yours…”

Liam isn’t sure what Theo is talking about “Mines? My what?”

“They’re your friends” Theo emphasises the ‘your’ 

Liam fixes him with another look, and Theo really doesn’t like that this has happened twice now and both times he’s felt like a scolded child. “Yeah, well you helped us all… they agreed when I said about asking you to join us. So I think that makes them sort of your friends too…” Theo simply chuckles and waves at him as though he’s telling him to turn around and leave now. Then Liam has an idea that will let him keep any eye on Theo without him knowing it. “Wanna come over later?” Theo looks at him and grimaces as Liam answers “Just some video games and a pizza or something dude.”

Theo looks unsure and it shows in his voice “Yeah but the others…”

Liam laughs as he replies “I don’t have to invite them everywhere all the time you know.”

It’s Theos turn to laugh now as he smiles and answers “Okay.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last few chapters have been pretty focused on Theo and some Liam too, next chapter will see the story progress some more and include more members of the puppy pack :)
> 
> As always, please let me know your thoughts or criticisms :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well…. this chapter kind of took on a life of it’s own and completely ran away with me and from the smaller parts that I had originally planned for it… and it er… kind of grew into this. I know I said that I would update earlier this week but once I started writing the separate parts for this one they kind of just started flowing…
> 
> Once again, I’m literally blown away by everyones very kinds words, kudos and reblogs for this! Thank you all so so much!

Theo pulls up outside Liams house and takes a deep breath as he turns off his truck, questioning himself for the thousandth time about why he ever agreed to this. _‘You know he’ll find what you really are’_ Taras voice echos from the back seat. “Shut up” Theo replies as he looks in the mirror at her, trying to push down the nagging doubts that have been bubbling to the surface ever since Liam closed his door earlier this morning. He forces himself to work through the fact that his limbs feel like lead at the thought of going into the unfamiliar surroundings and steps out of the truck and walks up to the front door. He only knocks once and the door is opened quickly by Liam who hurries him inside and walks towards the stairs. Theo looks at Liam and says “If it’s a problem me being here then…”

Liam turns towards him, cutting him off “It’s not a problem, I invited you didn’t I?” his words sound sharp, but he’s looking slightly embarrassed as he says it.

Theo gestures towards the door and the stairs “Oh. I just thought that with…”

“No, my parents are home and I thought I’d spare you meeting them till later on” Liam explains, as right on cue his mom comes out of the kitchen walking quickly towards them like a woman on a mission.

“Liam! Aren’t you going to introduce your friend?” she asks looking between the two with an expression that Theo guesses is what a mothers natural curiosity looks like.

“Yeah, mom this is Theo, Theo this my mom” Liam says as he gestures between them both looking slightly embarrassed and chided all at once. Theo stifles down the chuckle at this version of Liam, he’s too used to seeing the angry werewolf who is ready to fight beasts more than twice his size.

“Well, Theo. It’s nice to finally meet you. Liam hardly ever brings friends around anymore. I’m Jenna.” she says as he holds her hand out towards him.

He’s a little taken aback by how eager the woman seems to meet him, it’s not often he’s been met with that reaction, and also at her words… she knows about him? He slowly reaches out and shakes her hand a little too gently, trying to be respectful “Oh… um, nice to meet you Mrs Geyer.”

She smiles towards her son and looks back to Theo “Not much of a talker huh? Oh and none of that, I’m not my mom… Theo please, call me Jenna!” she sounds exasperated. “Are you staying for dinner?” she questions him with an eyebrow raised expectantly. Theo feels like a deer caught in headlights, he’s not used to this level of welcoming from anyone lately, especially from someone who’s just met him and who seems to have heard of him. It’s almost as though she senses his hesitation “If you have other plans that’s okay… it was just a thought since you’ll be here.”

He quickly cuts in “No, no that would be great thank you” he looks questioningly at Liam to make sure he’s alright with this turn of events, he’d only been invited to hang with Liam after all, not his family too… Liam just nods at him with a scrutinizing expression.

“Okay, dinner will be an hour so… don’t get too caught up in your games Liam” Jenna says as she laughs at the embarrassed look that once again crosses her sons face as he tilts his head towards the stairs and Theo follows him up.

As he steps into the bedroom, Theo looks around almost in awe at the posters on the walls, the lacrosse jersey in a frame, the trophies, the shelves full of DVDs and games… all of the things that would make up a typical teenage boys bedroom. Liam interrupts his inspection of the room by clearing his throat and asking “So… which game you wanna play?”

Theo wants to hold it back, but he really can’t so he replies flatly “Whichever one Hayden hasn’t whipped your ass at yet…”

Liam rolls his eyes and glares at him “Funny… forgot you heard that” he turns back to the games shelf as he browses through questioning Theo “So what kind of games do you like?”

“Um… I’ve not really played a lot… Just a few here and there.” Theo replies quietly as he looks down at his feet, he knew this was a bad idea as soon as he’d agreed to come, some of these things were due to come to light if he started spending time with any of them outside of fighting.

Liam splutters but covers it up as he looks at Theo, wondering if he’d had any kind of life with the Dread Doctors . “Well, do you like fighting games, PVP, shooting games, driving games…?” Liam presses.

Theo looks back up and he suddenly remembers a game that he used to love playing as a child, even if it does bring back memories of his family, for a change it’s one of the happier memories that he has “Street Fighter?”

“Yeah I have that downloaded I think, let me check” Liam replies as he moves to sit at the foot of the bed, motioning for Theo to come join him.

“Your moms nice by the way” Theo says as a way to fill the silence while Liam browses through the games list on his playstation.

“Ah! Found it!” Liam exclaims as he starts the game before he replies “Yeah she’s pretty alright I guess… considering everything…” he trails off and looks lost in thought.

Theo raises his eyebrow and asks a question he’s wondered for a while “Does she know about everything then?”

“No, I haven’t told her anything about that, I just meant with everything in the past…” Liam trials off, and Theo is definitely filing that away for a later conversation.

“But she said nice to finally meet me?” Theo questions, hoping for an explanation about what Jenna had meant earlier, wondering if she had she known his family before and what she knew about them.

“Oh yeah, no I’ve just mentioned that you’d dropped me off a few times when she asked who it was, and that you were coming over tonight that’s all. You know, just typical moms wanting to know everything…” Liam trails off, stopping as Theo suddenly looks like a kicked puppy.

“Yeah well at least yours actually takes an interest…” Theo sighs as he sees Taras form blinking in the corner sneering at him, he digs his nails into his thigh and the pain makes her disappear.

Liams interest is piqued, it’s probably the most honest and open he’s ever heard Theo being, with the exception of last night “Yours didn’t?” he asks.

Theo realizes what he’s said, that he’s given away something about himself that could be used later “She was always working” he covers in a tone that effectively finishes the conversation and he hopes that Liam doesn’t detect the lie. He sees his way out of the topic carrying on any further on the screen now that the game has loaded. Nodding towards the screen he asks “So which character do you wanna be?” he asks.

Liam knows it’s yet another deflection in solving what’s going on with the chimera, but he stores it away for a later, letting it slide for now and picks a character, this will take a while he’s sure, but he’s also sure he’ll match Theos pace and crack through his surface eventually.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

They’re just picking new characters for their third game, each of them having won a game each, and they’ve settled into an easy rhythm of friendly competition, laughing andtaking quips at each other, such as Theo asking if Liam would trust him around sharp objects and his family and Liam jokingly replying that he wouldn’t usually but his mom would have kicked his ass if he’d said no to Theo joining them for dinner. They had also taken to knocking each others shoulders as they played, each trying to put the other off. They’ve not been talking about anything serious and for the first time in maybe forever, Theo feels like a normal teenager. Liam keeps stealing glances at the chimera when he’s lost in the game, he likes how light Theo looks right now, like he doesn’t have the weight of the world twice over bearing down on him. He’s determined to solve this mystery and help Theo no matter how long it takes, because even if no-one else agrees with him, he knows that the boy saved his life more than once ,and that he’s not the same Theo who caused them all the problems before… Theo interrupts his train of thought when he asks “So do the others know I’m here?”

Liam keeps looking at the screen, shaking his head as he replies “No I’ve not talked to any of them today yet… came home and crashed out for while… but even if they did know they’d be cool with it.”

Theo rolls his eyes as he asks “Even Hayden?” while most of the pack were willing to tolerate him and his help, he knew she would never accept his presence from the scent she gives off any time he’s near her.

Liam lowers his controller “I’m not even sure anymore…”

“Not sure about what?” Theo asks as he turns to face Liam who’s looking at the floor.

Liam looks up at him “She was saying the other day her sister was thinking about moving away from here, and… and things haven’t been right with us for a while anyway…” he shrugs and shakes his head before continuing “I’m just not sure what she’s thinking anymore.”

Theo swallows back the pit of dread that’s slowly building in his stomach as he asks “Because of me?”

Liam grimaces “Yeah… I mean I’m not sure. I know you guys have a bad history, but lately she just seems so angry about everything. We used to be so in sync but now it just feels like we’re drifting further and further apart.” 

“I can leave you know? I don’t need to be here…” Theo trails of, except he does need to be here in this town, it’s the only home he’s ever known… it’s all too familiar, and if one person here can at least accept him being here, then he’ll take that.

“No that’s not what I’m saying, it’s like Scott left me in charge when he left, and it just feels like she has to question everything I say or think, and that nothing is ever enough anymore” Liam explains. He takes a breath before saying “I told you I wanted you to join us and I meant it, if I’d wanted to you to leave because of Hayden I wouldn’t have asked…”

Theo is saved from having to justify his reasons for not joining them yet again without giving away the real reason by Jenna calling them down for dinner.

He’s not really sure what to expect, and he has too many questions running through his mind about a family dinner to even try to mask his anxious scent which Liam must pick up on because before Theo knows it he’s stopped walking and is turning around to face him, asking “You ok?”

He can’t let Liam know that he doesn’t have much experience in the way of family dinners, that he’s not sure what to expect. “I… um… yeah. Just my first family dinner in a while…” he hopes that will appease Liam, and it’s not exactly a lie.

“Dude… it’s just dinner thats all.” Liam replies as he wonders again ‘ _what exactly is the problem here?_ ’

They’re interrupted by Jenna coming out of the dining room “Come on boys it won’t stay warm forever!”

Liam follows his mother into the dining room and Theo follows him. As they enter and all sit down, Theo takes in the smell of the chicken stew and potatoes sitting in big dishes in the middle of the table, the white walls which are somehow warm and inviting in the warmly lit room and the overwhelming scent of happiness and contentment enveloping him and erasing his earlier anxiety. 

Once they’re all seated Jenna speaks “Oh, Theo… since we’ve effectively established that my son sucks at introductions, this is my husband David…” she points at the man before she adds “… to be called David.” 

David holds his hand out across the table to Theo smiling at hime “Nice to meet you son.”

Theo shakes his hand “Nice to meet you too… um…” he earns a glance and encouraging smile from Jenna for his hesitation before he adds “David.”

Jenna clasps her hands and smiles before gesturing to the food “Okay, now we’re all introduced lets dig in.” she says she serves herself a generous helping of the food. She adds as an afterthought towards Theo “Take as much as you want before Liam and David eat it all.”

He’s pretty sure that it wouldn’t be socially acceptable to take exactly as much as he would like of the stew and potatoes, so he waits until Liam has served himself a portion of each and takes a similar sized helping himself as the conversation turns towards Liam and his school work. It’s best meal he’s eaten since the last dinner his mom cooked for the family of four before everything changed. He stops those thoughts before they can even begin to form, reminding himself that he’s not there… he’s here with Liams family eating dinner like it’s the most normal thing in the world, and maybe for most people it is, but he’s making the most of the moment.

“So what do you study Theo?” David asks him, and Theo feel three pairs of eyes turn to him.

_‘This is where you mess up again… they’re watching you, waiting for it… you know what happens…’_ He digs his nails into his palm under the table and Taras voice drifts off as thought it was never there. He swallows down the anxiety as he replies “Um… Biology, English, Psychology, History…”

He’s cut off as Jenna questions “oh are you taking History together?” 

Liam is looking at Theo, he could sense the chimeras anxiety rocketing as the conversation was turned to him, his natural instinct is to take the lead and turn the attention away from him if it makes him this uncomfortable. “No, we’re in different classes mom…” he stops mid sentence as Theo shoots him a thankful glare as his mom and stepdad turn their attention away from Theo, and worst part is, he’s not eve sure that Theo is aware he did it, from the way he seems to snap back into himself and goes back to focusing on the food in front of him.

The rest of the dinner continues in a similar fashion, with conversation being turned towards Theo and his interests, hobbies, future plans, with Liam stepping in for Theo each time when the chimera started to smell too uncomfortable, to the point that Jenna tells off her son, and restates her question earlier about Theo not being much of a talker. After everyone is finished eating their second helpings, that Jenna had all but insisted upon, she asks “Anyone for dessert?”

Theo takes that as a good time to leave, despite his reservations about the dinner with Liams family which hadn’t even been planned, he’d had a good time. It had felt a little good but mostly strange to have people take an active interest in him again, but he didn’t want to overstay his welcome. “No thanks. I should be going now” he replies as he places his cutlery down and pushes himself back in his seat.

Jenna replies “Oh so soon? I hope we didn’t mess with your parents plans for dinner by having you over?”

And there it is, a reminder of everything that he doesn’t get to go home to… like a slap of ice cold water to extinguish the warm feeling that had began growing in him throughout dinner. He catches Liam tense at the side of his eye as he stands up. He masters his best poker face and carefree tone and replies to the woman who has been nothing but nice to him “No it’s fine… they were eating out with friends anyway. Thank you for dinner.” 

Liam stands up a little too quickly as he says “Yeah I’ll see you out.”

Jenna and David look at Liam with puzzled expressions that somehow also read as ‘don’t be so rude to get rid of your guest so quickly’ as Jenna says “It was lovely to meet you Theo, and don’t be a stranger!” Theo can’t bring himself to reply past the lump in his throat so he nods as he turns and walks out of the room and hurries to the front door.

Liam catches up with him just as he’s about to pull the door open “I am so sorry about that… she didn’t know…” 

Theo knows that he’s apologizing for what his mother couldn’t possibly have known, he sighs as he says, pointedly avoiding looking at Liam “It’s fine, she couldn’t have known.”

Liam can feel that Theo is starting to clam up again, the small amount of progress he’s made is being wiped away. “Why did you lie?” he asks.

Theo looks back to Liam, his face a mask of seriousness “It’s better that than people find out the truth, right?” Liam can’t bring himself to reply so he simply nods. Theo takes a deep breath before opening the door, as he steps out he says “I’ll see you around Dunbar, but thanks for tonight”

Liam notes the specific words that Theo has used “Yeah well I’ll see you at school tomorrow?” he asks.

Theo makes a disgusted face at the thought of school and replies “Maybe… maybe not… I might take the week.” he turns back to face Liam and although his face now wears an expression of gratitude he says “I’ll see you…” trailing off as he turns to walk down the path towards his truck.

Liam tries to beat down his growing anger at what his mom said, _‘it’s not her fault, she didn’t know’_ keeps reminding himself as he takes deep breaths, all the while watching Theos truck driving down the street turning out of sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I know I said I was including some puppy pack in this chapter, but the whole thing just took on a life of its own once I started writing it, so that will definitely be covered first in next chapter, plus some more Theo and Liam getting to know each other…
> 
> \- I don’t think we were ever told Liams step fathers name on the show, but I’ve seen a few fics calling him David so that’s what I’ve gone with.
> 
>  
> 
> \- As always please let me know your thoughts!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a few notes before the chapter starts:
> 
> \- Thanks once again to everyone for all your kind comments/kudos/reblogs on the previous chapter… it really does mean the world!
> 
> \- As I mentioned on my tumblr, I can’t apologize enough for the delay on this being posted… I have a chronic illness which decided to kick my ass the majority of last week & into this one… as a result I spent most of last week in bed in massive amounts of pain.
> 
> \- Just a heads up about this chapter, I really struggled to write parts of it, but I persevered through last week and wrote and then scrubbed and rewrote parts until it flowed a little better and was so different from original plan I had made, so I apologize in advance if it isn’t up to scratch due to illness guys, but I’m hopeful you’ll like what I’ve done with it! (Slight angst warning for the end of the chapter)

Liam walks up to the school as he’s looking around for Theo, his blue truck is nowhere to be seen in the parking lot. He catches sight of Hayden as she walks towards him, smilingand throwing her arms around him as she kisses his cheek and whispers in his ear “I missed you yesterday”. She’s smiling as the separate and he looks at her, smiling and nodding as he tries to think of something to reply back as she quickly questions him “Where were you anyway?” 

“Um… I was… You know what? I’ll tell you all later” he half tells her as they walk further towards the building to join Mason and Corey, he doesn’t want to be short with her, but he also really doesn’t feel like explaining himself twice over when he could just tell them all at once. He catches Theos scent getting stronger as he turns to see the chimera walking towards them. Liam catches the moment that Theo sees them, as his scent fills with the anxiousness that he seems to wear almost like a cologne these days and he slightly tenses before relaxing again, although his face is carefully schooled into a confident relaxed expression. As the chimera get closer Liam parts his lips to speak to him, but he merely nods at Liam who nods in return, and walks right past them, blending himself easily into the crowd of students walking through the school doors. 

“What was that all about?” Mason asks as he looks from the school doors back to Liam with a scrutinizing look, Liam just shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders, he’s honestly just as confused as the rest of them at this point. Mason continues his questioning, animatedly asking “Dude, what happened? Where were you yesterday? You missed so much in History…” 

Hayden cuts Mason off as she shrugs and answers unhappily “… he says he’ll tell us all later apparently” as she rolls her eyes. He can’t help the annoyance that flares up at her reaction as Mason and Corey look at him and he just shrugs and gives them a _‘don’t ask’_ look. They start walking into the school as Hayden holds his hand, she squeezes it once they get through the doors as she stops walking, stopping Liam too. Mason and Corey give a slight wave each that’s almost in unison as the turn and walk away towards their lockers, Hayden asks “Hey, can we talk later? There’s something I need to talk to you about?”

Liam wonders what this is about, is she definitely moving away, is it because she can smell Theo on him even though he hasn’t seen him in a day, is it because she feels the same, that things don’t feel the same anymore? He knows they have to talk at some point, and maybe he should have done it sooner, preferably before Haydens sister mentioned moving away He replies “Yeah sure, you wanna come over after school?” 

She smiles as she leans in toward him “Yeah I’ll come over. See you at lunch though?”

He puts on his most exaggerated thinking face as he looks up to the ceiling for full effect“Umm… I’m not sure…” he looks back to Hayden as she laughs and playfully hits his chest, and suddenly he feels almost normal again. He hugs her and pulls back “See you at lunch” and walks towards his locker.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Liam is the first to arrive to the tables outside the school building, it’s too nice to stay inside for lunch today, so he’d texted the others before his last class to say he’d meet them here instead. He sees Theo sitting at a table by himself reading a book as he approaches, he decides to approach him and again he sees the moment his presence is known at the slight tense of Theos shoulders. He stands awkwardly at the opposite end of the table from where Theo is sitting still looking down at his book. Theo sighs, rolls his eyes and sighs as he closes his book, asking “You just gonna stand there or are you gonna sit down?”

He takes his cue, sitting quickly he asks “Hows things?” because this Theo is hard to read, more like the Theo that they put in the ground, not the one he seen when they brought him back out, or the one he seen the other night on the bridge.

Theo sighs as he finally looks up to Liam and levels a glare at him “No I have tried to jump off any more bridges if that’s what you’re asking…” the glare melts away into a vulnerable expression before coming back. 

“No… no thats not what I was asking…” Liam trails off as Theo interrupts

“I saw the looks Mason gave me this morning, did you tell them?” the tone of his voice matching the hard expression still on his face.

Liam shakes his head, he’s a little taken aback by Theos attitude after the other night, and he’s not really sure where it’s coming from. “I didn’t tell them anything, I’ve not even seen them since the other day…” he trails off to collect himself, fully aware that what little progress he’s made with Theo could quickly turn south if he doesn’t quell the anger steadily rising within him. “Mason was looking at you because he probably expected you to speak to us. Just because you didn’t wanna join us, doesn’t mean you can’t still talk you know…”

Theos hard expression fades away at his words and Liam thinks he has the decency to look sorry for his outburst as he looks down at the table once more. “Oh… sorry. I just thought…”

“…Yeah I know what you thought, and you’re wrong. I wouldn’t tell anyone if you didn’t want them to know, I told you that.” Liam states a little more sharply than he intended.

Theo looks back up at Liam and opens his mouth to reply, but he closes it and grimaces as he quickly tenses while looking over Liams shoulder. He grabs his book and quickly stands up as he says “Catch you later Dunbar.” and walks away at what Liam guesses is the quickest Theo can manage to whilst still appearing to he human. Liam wonders for what feels like the thousandth time what the hell was that all about, when suddenly the reason for Theos sudden departure becomes clear, as he catches the scent of his girlfriend and friends getting stronger until they all sit down at the table.

Corey is the first to question Theos retreat upon seeing them approach “Anyone would think he’s avoiding us” as he opens his bag for lunch and Mason nods in agreement, turning a questioning look to Liam.

“Yeah, anyone would think we’re the ones who’ve done something wrong… like… I don’t know… betraying everyone who ever tried to help you…” Hayden adds in. Liam takes a steadying breath because he’s really had just about all he take of her attitude towards the chimera who hasn’t stepped a foot out of place since they brought him back. She then asks him “So… are you gonna tell us where you were yesterday?” 

“I was too tired and stayed home to get some sleep” Liam says, and it’s a half truth, he knows that, but he’s not ready for another round of ‘blame Theo for everything,' so he’s happy to stall it for as long as he can. 

Mason laughs and replies “That’s it? You were tired?” and then his amused expression changes to one of concern “Wait… there’s not something else going on is there? Something you were tracking? Anything that we all need to know about?” as he reaches to squeeze Coreys shoulder, who reaches his own hand up to Masons hand before dropping it back to the table again.

Liam takes a breath and tells them “No, I was with Theo the night before…” he’s met with a disgusted glare from Hayden and incredulous looks from Mason and Corey before he hastily adds “No… what? Not like that… There was something he needed my help with and it lasted into the middle of the night.”

Hayden sighs and shakes her head and in a voice laced with bitterness and disappointment she replies “I don’t get it… you’re more interested him these days than your own girlfriend and your friends.”

Not for the first time today he bites back a comment that he knows wouldn’t lead this conversation anywhere good and asks her “What do you mean?” he looks to Mason and Corey to see if they agree, but both of them look like deers caught in headlights and quickly look down to their lunches on the table.

“You’re always so concerned about him now… saying you know there’s something else going on with him blah blah blah. I’m sorry Liam, I am, but we’re your friends, not him. I don’t get why you’re so concerned about him” she tells him in a louder voice which draws the attention of the people around their table.

Liam suddenly realizes that she wouldn’t get it, and even if she had seen Theo space out that night at the hospital, the way he’d reacted to the morgue, how he’d thrown himself into the fight with the ghost riders… the way he’d been on the bridge that night… that she would still put it down to Theo somehow manipulating them for some bigger game. Hell, she had seen it that day Theo was in the cell practically begging them to break the sword. He tells the group “Yeah, you know I still care about you guys, I don’t get how you can say that I don’t, nothings changed…” Hayden opens her mouth to argue back but he holds a hand up and continues “… Scott left me in charge when he left for college. If there’s anything supernatural going on or something effecting any supernaturals then I think it’s my job to check it out. Don’t you?”

Mason looks up at him with concern “So I was right? It is something supernatural?”

Liam sighs, thinking about his answer, because he’s not even sure what it is that’s effecting Theo “I’m not sure… I’m definitely gonna look into it further though…” 

Hayden scoffs and asks “So you spent most of the night investigating whatever it is but you still don’t know?” and rolls her eyes for maximum effect.

“No… thats not… I said I’m not sure what it is thats going on, but there’s definitely something.” Liam replies as he sees Theo sheepishly approaching the group again with a determined look on his face from across the yard.

“Pfft, well he better not try to kill any of us again” Hayden retorts, still looking at Liam, and all he can see is how Theos face and posture drops, and he knows the chimera heard her words as he quickly about turns and walks away.

Liam hurriedly grabs his bag off the ground as he tell her “He won’t. I gotta go, I’ll catch up with you at mine?” as he stumbles out of the seat and quickly hugs her.

“I… uh… yeah sure.” she replies dejectedly as he leaves the table and follows the direction that Theo retreated in, he tries to track him and follows the scent to the front of the building where he notices the blue truck speeding out of the parking lot.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Since he got home from school Liam has been lying in his bed listening to music and trying to calm himself down before Hayden comes over. He’s been reasoning out everything that Hayden had said earlier and also what she must be feeling, and it’s not that he doesn’t understand where she’s coming from, because he does get it… given the past that she has with Theo, how could he not… He just can’t understand why she’s not willing to give him a second chance when almost everyone else, even Scott, had trusted him enough to fight alongside them against the Ghost Riders, and he also helped to get Corey and Stiles back. He knows he needs to help Theo, especially if he’s a danger to himself, it’s what Scott trusted him with when he left town for college. He just needs to work out how to break through to Theo… 

His thoughts are interrupted when the doorbell rings and as he walks downstairs he sees his mom opening the door and exclaiming “Hey Hayden! I’ve not seen you in a while” as she hugs her. Hayden pulls out of the hug and looks a little awkward, and Liam thanks whatever higher power there is that his mom doesn’t have werewolf enhanced senses or she would be all over that. 

Hayden simply smiles and says “Hey Mrs Geyer, yeah. Hows things?”

Jenna answers “Good thanks!” Before looking at her son and shaking her head, she asks “What is it with all your friends and making me feel old?” She turns to address Hayden and adds in “Jenna. Please, call me Jenna.” before turning back to Liam and asking “Is it because my birthday is coming up? Did you tell them to wind me up?” 

Damn. He hadn’t told his small friendship group, never mind Hayden, that Theo had been over last night, nor that his parents had met and welcomed him. “What? No mom I haven’t told them anything about your birthday.”

She nods and replies “Good. I don’t want to have to keep reminding people my name is not Mrs Geyer.”

Hayden looks questioningly at Liam before turning back to his mom and laughing politely “Jenna.”

Jenna practically beams at this “Better! Two Mrs Geyers in two days is not good for my health. Remind Theo too, and tell him I said hi…” She clearly misses the way Haydens face falls as she turns and walks away back into the sitting room, calling over her shoulder “You kids don’t get up to anything I wouldn’t…”

The joke falls flat as Hayden looks at Liam with hurt written all over her face “Theo? Theo was here yesterday?” 

Liam genuinely can’t find the words, he didn’t want her to find out like that, he still loves her and he doesn’t want to hurt her like this. “Umm… lets talk in my room” is all that he can say and he walks up the stairs and Hayden follows him.

As soon as they step into his bedroom she closes the door with enough force that he wouldn’t be surprised if his mom came up to tell him to watch his anger. “You… you said you were sleeping most of yesterday…” her she looks angry, but her voice is laced with hurt.

“I… I was…” Liam mumbles as he tries think on a way that he can explain what happened without telling her what happened with Theo and why he’d invited him over. She raises her eyebrows waiting for him to continue “… I was trying to be nice.” Hayden scoffs at him and he carries on “You know how I said that I thought there was something going on with him? Well, there is… but I’m not sure what it is.”

“What do you mean?” she questions him “You said theres something going on but you don’t know what? That’s twice now you’ve said that.”

“Hayden… it’s… it’s hard to explain…” Liam trails off and Hayden turns to walk towards the door. He grabs her arm and turns her back round to face him “Just… let me try to explain ok?” he asks as he points to the bed, she follows his request and sits down on the edge of the bed and he sits beside her. Turing to face her he continues “I know theres something going on with him because I found him in the woods the other night… he was… he wasn’t good at all. I got him back to his house and made sure he was alright, but by the time I got all that done there wasn’t much point going to school yesterday so I came home and slept.”

“So why was he here then? He even met your parents Liam!” She stands again as she says “That’s not investigating with someone, thats bordering on friendship…”

Liam stands up to face her and explains “Yeah… I invited him over. Look, I know you don’t trust him and that you didn’t support me asking him to join the pack or whatever, but I do. He really helped us out with the Riders, he helped us get everyone back… and whether you like him or not you can’t deny that. The guy needs a friend and I’m gonna help him out whether you support it or not.”

Hayden looks down and then looks back at him with tears starting to form in her eyes, the hurt is clear in her voice “I guess it really doesn’t matter what I think or say anymore huh? I knew that things had changed, I just didn’t know it was thanks to Theo yet again messing up my life.”

“No… thats not… he’s not messing up your life.” He tries to take her hand but she moves it away so that he can’t.

“You know, I came here to tell you something, but I guess it won’t really matter now…” She turns to leave again but Liam jumps in front of her so that she can’t get to the bedroom door.

“It matters, Hayden I still love you, and I get what you’re saying, I just… I need to do this and I can’t really explain why.” He knows how desperate he must sound and how pathetic it sounds that he knows something is going on but he can’t tell them.

She takes a deep breath and looks like she’s collecting herself before she smiles at him and says “I didn’t come here to talk about Theo or what he’s manipulating you into… I came to tell you that my sister is still worried about living here, she’s decided we’re leaving town, moving away…”

Her words feel like a slap to his face and they take his breath away “What? Why? When?” he questions and adds as an after thought “And Theo isn’t manipulating me into anything…” 

She stamps her feet and holds out her hands for emphasis as she exclaims “See? I tell you that and the first thing you do is defend him!” She steps aside and Liam is too taken back to reach for her this time as she walks to the bedroom door, she opens it and turns back saying quietly “Goodbye Liam” and she closes the door behind her as he sinks to the floor.

He’s not sure how long he sat there for, going over everything in his mind, wondering where things with Hayden had gone so wrong so quickly, wondering why her sister was suddenly getting scared of life in Beacon Hills after everything she’d witnessed, asking himself why he hadn’t chased after her, if he’d been more understanding of her point of view would this have happened?… he’s drawn out of his thoughts and back into his bedroom which is suddenly dark by his mom knocking and calling through his door “You okay sweetie?” so he guesses she seen Hayden leaving. 

He sighs “Yeah mom. I’m fine, just gonna go to bed.” 

Not for the first time, Liam is thankful that his mom isn’t one to force an issue until he’s ready to talk to her about it as she replies “Ok, night Liam… see you in the morning”

He smiles sadly as he calls back “Night mom” and hears her footsteps retreating further down the hallway to her bedroom as he lies on his bed on top of the covers. He lies there and goes back down the same train of thought, he knows he’s not going to sleep anytime soon so he decides to sneak out to go for a walk.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Theo is trapped in his second nightmare of the day after having come home from school early… 

_Tara is chasing him around the hospital corridors “Theeeeeooooo” she calls out for him, and he knows its pointless to run but he hopes that one day he’ll outrun her, having finally paid his debt enough. He come to a door that won’t open for him no matter how hard he pounds against it. He hears Haydens words “better not try to kill any of us again…” mixing with Masons “how do we know if we let him out he won’t try to kill us” with Taras voice telling him “it’s all you ever do, hurt those you love” as she grabs his shoulders and spins him round, pinning him to the door. “No… please…just…please” he begs, his words are met with her cold stare as she raises her hand and rams it into his chest, gripping her heart and pulling it out holding it up for him to watch as the life slips from his body._

_He wakes with a start in the all too familiar small space of the morgue drawer. He pounds on the door until it opens and he bursts out and into the morgue. He can’t hear Tara calling from him this time so he starts running out of the room, bursting through the door that leads into the hall way, he runs into their parents bedroom and hears the door slamming closed behind him. “Theo! Theo hunny!” he hears his moms voice from the other side of the door, she sounds terrified for him. He turns to see his fathers looming presence blocking the door, the man grins at him like a predator smiling at its prey “Theo, you know you have a lesson to learn…” His mom starts shouting for him again “Theo!!” as he automatically starts stepping back when his father starts advancing on him. “No… dad please…” His dad chuckles and repeats his words back to him in a mocking voice before he says “You’re words aren’t any good here, you know that” as he continues walking towards his son. Theos legs hit the edge of the bed and he knows he has no escape now as his moms voice takes on a whole new level of frantic and she starts knocking on the door as she starts screaming for her son. His father gets closer still and comes to a stop right in front of him and reaches out to touch his shoulder as his mom is still knocking on the door…._

Theo wakes up gasping for breath, he tries to calm his breathing but when that doesn’t work he decides to go outside for some fresh air which should help clear his mind, if not at least he can run until he’s tired enough to go back to sleep. He quickly jumps up from the bed and leaves his bedroom, he doesn’t think he can stand to be in a bed after his most recent nightmare. He runs down the stairs and opens the door, ready to walk through it, only to be stopped by the figure of a dejected Liam Dunbar in his doorway holding his hand up ready to knock the door. “Liam?” he asks.

Liam drops his hand back down and answers “Did I wake you? I’m sorry… I had nowhere else to go…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you all enjoyed this one too! As always, please do let me know your thoughts, if you loved or hated it and any questions etc... :)
> 
> Next chapter should be mostly Theo and Liam...


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for your kind wishes & comments regarding my health and the time it took for me update… you’re all amazing and far too nice!!
> 
> So this chapter is very Liam and Theo focused, it’s really mostly them talking things over & picks up directly after the last chapter… sorry if it seems like not a lot happens in this one, but a lot also does happen, and if it's a bit heavy and long, but it’s a turning point and develops the story and towards Thiam :)

Theo takes in the form of Liam standing in his doorway looking for all the world like a kicked puppy, he can smell the sorrow and anger mixing with the faintest hints of anxiety rolling off the younger werewolf “What, did something happen?” when he doesn’t get an answer he reaches up and grabs Liams shoulders and asks again a little more desperately “Liam! Has something happened? Is everyone ok?”

That draws Liams attention, and he looks up at the chimera “I… she broke up with me…” he replies dejectedly, a sympathetic look crosses Theos face as he simply steps aside and holds his hand out towards the sitting room and Liam walks in and sits down, Theo closes the door behind him and sits down on the opposite end of the couch. It’s that point that Liam takes in Theos appearance, like he’d just woken up and he apologizes again “Sorry if I woke you.”

Theo smiles “No you didn’t, I… uh… I had another bad dream.”

Liam straightens up in his seat a little at this as he asks “Oh… you get those a lot huh?” and the compassion and protectiveness in his voice, despite just breaking up with his girlfriend is not lost on Theo.

He does, however, recognize a distraction tactic when he sees one, but Theo has mastered this art better than anyone… and if he can use that power for good now, and to help out someone else who has done so much for him, while avoiding telling people about his past then he’ll use it. “Nu-uh baby alpha… that’s not what you came here for. What happened?” he asks he leans slightly forward, clasping his hand and resting his elbows on his knees, letting Liam know that he had his full attention.

Liam slumps back into the couch as he sighs as he wracks his brain for a way to tell Theo what happened without telling him exactly why they broke up. He begins to explain “She… um… she was coming over after school because she said she had something we needed to talk about, and uh… we argued and then she said her sister was moving away from Beacon Hills and taking Hayden with her…”

Theo thinks he has a pretty good idea why they had started arguing, Haydens attitude towards him hadn’t improved, regardless of how much he had tried to help them out, and thats part of the reason why he’s given the pack a wide berth… they knew where he was if they needed him or his knowledge and he was content with that, he couldn’t risk them getting too close. He asks the question because he really has to know “What did you guys argue about?” his suspicions are confirmed at Liams quick intake of breath and the way he looks to the floor. He ventures his guess out loud “Because of me? Did she find out I came over?”

Liam looks back up from the floor to Theo “Yeah my mom mentioned that you’d come over…” Theo nods and looks away from Liam, and Liam can smell the guilt that seems to seep out of Theo as soon as the words leave his mouth.

“Shit… I’m sorry. I knew it was a bad idea… she was right” Theo apologizes as he slumps back, hearing Taras words from that night _‘You know he’ll find what you really are’_ echoing around his mind.

Liam quickly scrambles to explain, pulling Theo back to reality “No… its… it’s not your fault, if I’m honest it’s been on the cards for a while, and then she was moving away anyway… so…” then what else Theo had said sinks in and he asks “Wait… who was right?” 

Theo shakes his head slightly and deflects the topic “It doesn’t matter.” Then he looks back towards Liam as he says “I’m sorry that you guys broke up, I mean I knew she didn’t like me being a sort of ally or anything, but I didn’t think she’d break up with you for it…” he trails off as Tara flickers in the corner _‘Theo’_ before disappearing again and he adds “…I … I shouldn’t have come over the other day. I’m sorry.” and he hates himself for asking at this moment, but he has to know “You didn’t tell her about…?” he trails off at the end of the sentence because he can’t bring himself to speak about it just yet, or more specifically, he can’t admit that he’d gotten so desperate.

Liam straightens up in his seat as he answers “No. No… I told you I wouldn’t tell anyone about that. I didn’t tell Mason and I didn’t tell Hayden. I had to tell her that something had happened but I didn’t tell her what, she just thinks we were investigating something that night.” Theo looks down at the floor as he nods and Liam continues “Theo… you’re not the bad guy anymore, you really helped us with the Ghost Riders, you helped us get everyone back. You didn’t deserve the hate she gave you, and what she said earlier today…”

Theo looks back up as he quickly asks “What?” he doesn’t think he’s ever had anyone tell him he’s not the bad one, and he definitely doesn’t know why Liam is bringing up what she said earlier at lunch…

“What Hayden said at lunch. You didn’t deserve that, I know that’s why you turned around… and for what it’s worth I’m sorry you had to overhear it.” Liam answers in an earnest voice.

“Oh…” is all that Theo can reply. He didn’t know Liam had seen him approaching them, why is it that this kid seems to always catch him at his most vulnerable? He tries to divert the conversation away from himself again “So, enough about me. Did you go after her? Have you tried to talk to her since?”

Liam shakes his head “No… she told me they were leaving soon and then she walked out. I… I’m not even sure there’s much point. She’s clearly said everything she wanted to say.”

Theo sighs and suppresses the urge to roll his eyes at the fact that he needs to spell it out to someone who seems far more perceptive that he ever thought Liam was capable of “Okay dumbass. I guess the question is… do you wanna leave things on a sour note or do you wanna try and keep things peaceful and talk like adults?” Okay… so he can’t help himself.

Much to his surprise, Liam only laughs at the jibe “I guess maybe you’re right…” he’s interrupted as his phone starts buzzing in his pocket. 

Theo takes the cue to get a reprieve from the conversation which somehow keeps turning back to him “Aren’t you gonna answer that?” he asks as he stands up and goes to fetch them drinks. 

He can hear Liam answer the phone and speak to Mason in quiet hurried tones, telling him he’ll speak to him tomorrow, that he’s not really in the mood to speak… no he’s sure he’s fine… and he wonders why Liam decided to come here of all the places he could have gone. He comes back into the sitting room and puts the glasses of water on the table while Liam is finishing typing furiously on the phone and shoving it back in his pocket with a little too much force. He raises a questioning eyebrow to which Liam answers “Mason… he’s worried about me but I just want to be left alone for a while…” 

Theo nods in response as it hits him that Mason mustn’t have known about it from the way the conversation had gone, and he wonders again why Liam thought it would be a good idea to come here first of all, he asks “So you hadn’t told him?”

Liam shakes his head and mutters “No…” before adding in a quiet voice “After Hayden left the house I just kind of shut down, then my mom knocked to say goodnight and I just had to get out of there.”

“So you came here?” he asks incredulous. It’s not that he’s not happy that Liam would seek him out, he just didn’t think that he would have after all of his attempts at pushing away the friendship that the werewolf kept trying to offer him.

Liam leans forward on the couch, ready to stand up as he gestures towards the door “Sorry… I uh… I can leave if you want?” 

Theo holds a hand out to stop him from standing as he hurriedly says “No that’s not what I meant… I just didn’t think I was number one on your list of go to people…”

Liam huffs and replies “Yeah well whether you like it or not, you are a friend, and I just thought I could come here…” then he adds in “Can we talk about something else for a while?” because he just needs to be distracted and switch off from what happened earlier.

Theo rolls his eyes and grumbles “Yeah, come over late at night because you’re having a problem, but don’t actually talk about it…”

Liam bites back “Like you’re one to talk… Okay, so why did you avoid us all day today anyway?”

Knowing that his attempt to rile Liam and distract him worked, Theo grins a little, but now the topic has turned back to him and he suddenly becomes uncomfortable in his own skin again. “Let just watch some TV?” he suggests, it makes the most sense since none of them particularly want to talk about their problems, but somehow neither of them want to be alone either. Liam senses the deflection from a mile away this time though, and Theo thinks he really should have known better than to try and deflect the question as Liams face takes on the same expression Jennas had given him when he’d called her Mrs Geyer. He knows that he at least owes Liam some kind of explanation for his behavior lately, so he ventures “I just didn’t want to get in the way I guess… and after the other night I… I wasn’t sure if you’d have told them or not. I don’t want people knowing…”

“You wouldn’t have been in the way Theo” Liam cuts him off “You’re our friend. We even invited you to join us… and honestly? I’m getting tired of having to tell you that every time” Liam answers, because he is getting tired of it, and he really doesn’t understand why Theo has been so avoidant of them when all he’s done is try to include him and integrate him into the pack. 

Theo replies “I know you keep saying that, but honestly? It really doesn’t feel like it at times with the way they look at me. And the more people know about you the weaker it makes you… I don’t want anyone seeing me as weak Liam, I’ve had enough of that…” He stops himself mid sentence because thats far more honest, and far more revealing, than he’s ever allowed himself to be with anyone in a long time and takes him by surprise.

“Do you think I see you as weak after the other night?” Liam asks, Theo only shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders in response and he’s staring intently at the floor, again avoiding any attempts to get close to him, this time it just happens to be Liams gaze that that he’s avoiding. “Well, I don’t. I’m not sure whats going on, but I know theres something… the other night… the hospital, the nightmares… the zoning out…” and then it all clicks into place now that he’s said it out loud, like a solid punch to Liams gut and he wonders how he, how they all, could have missed it before. “Wait… is this about what happened to you in the ground?” and Liam sees the mask that Theo keeps in place splinter away to reveal a way too vulnerable and terrified face.

_‘Ttthhheeeoooo’_ the mere mention of it is enough to bring Taras whispering voice back circling around his mind. He quickly looks up at Liam “I…” he can’t find the words as his breathing quickens in time with his heart, which suddenly feels like it could burst out of his chest all on its own. “I can’t…” he sees Tara flicker into focus across the room and now she’s walking towards him. He closes his eyes and jumps as she’s grabbing his hands which have somehow made their way up to his chest “You can’t be here, you can’t have it” he tries to tell her, and he opens his eyes to see Liam holding his hands and kneeling down in front of him looking at him so intently that it feels like the other boy is looking into his soul. He looks behind Liam to where Tara had been advancing on him, but now all he sees is the opposite wall.

Liam turns his head, following Theos gaze and when turns back, suddenly there’s a glass of water being placed in his hands as Liam asks him “Woah, are you ok?”. Theos tries to gather himself and all he can do is nod and fight the tears which are threatening to form. Liam answers to the response “That does not look like you’re ok… who can’t have what?”

Theo abruptly cuts in “You came here to talk about you and Hayden, not me…” as he tries to look anywhere but at Liam. 

“Yeah well we have a while, right now I’m more worried about what just happened…” Liam replies as Theo starts to shake his head “If there’s something getting to you this badly then I can help, but we need to know what…”

Theo stands up as Liam follows suit until they’re almost nose to nose and loudly says as he pushes Liams chest, sending him two steps back “What? Baby Alpha left to protect Beacon Hills from big bad Theo? You gotta watch in case I go on another killing spree so you can all just send me back to her? Is that it?” his heated words somehow lose their impact on Liam who for the second time this week sees just how broken and truly scared Theo really is, as he’s still trying to gather his breathing and his shaking hands at his sides.

Liam grabs his elbows and Theo tries to pull away, but Liam holds on tighter as he says in a gentle voice “No, you know thats not true… I’m sorry for whatever is going on with you, and if it’s because of what we did. I wanna help you but I don’t know how to if I don’t know what’s going on.”

Theo pulls free from Liams grip and quickly sits down on the couch sighing as he simply asks “Why?”

Liam sits back down again and answers “Like I said, I think we’re friends and that’s what friends do…”

Theo looks up to Liam as he nods and grimaces, he knows he can’t keep going the way he’s going, he knows that eventually something will break and he won’t ever be able to be put back together. He’s never been given many chances in life or had someone trust him so easily as Liam seems to. He’s new to this whole friendship thing, but he knows he needs to take this chance that’s being offered to him, even if he can’t be completely honest. “Yeah… you’re right…” he begins and Liam makes a ‘go on’ gesture with his hands “About what’s happening, it’s uh… its about what happened when you guys put me in the ground.” He stops speaking for a moment when he sees the devastated look that crosses Liams face at his words, and there’s a huge part of him that wishes he hadn’t said it because now there’s no taking it back, and a tiny part of him that’s sort of glad at least one of them will know a little bit of what they actually did to him, how much they broke him. “It was Tara, I was trapped with her in a sort of ground hog day, I’d wake up in the hospital, she’d find me and give me what I deserved and then I’d wake up again… Same thing over and over.”

Liam can’t find the words he wants to say… he knew that what happened to Theo would have left a mark but he had no idea exactly what had happened, or exactly how badly it had affected him… and they all did it, they were all guilty for the mess that the chimera was in now. He really doesn’t want to, but he needs to know more “What did she do?” Theo shakes his head minutely and looks at Liam with an expression that asks his to please not make him go there. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I think you do need to speak about it and soon.” He doesn’t miss the way Theos right hand creeps up the clutch over his heart and he’s hit with the memory of Theo looking like he might vomit in class the other day when they were dissecting the frogs and suddenly another piece of the puzzle clicks into place and Liam feels like he’s taken another punch to the gut. “Oh god… your heart… she…” 

Theo feels like there’s a lump the size of a golfball in his throat, he can barely breathe past it let alone speak past it. He can only nod in response to Liams realization, theres a part of him that wants to rewind the clock and take it all back. _‘he sees you for what you really are now’_ Taras voice whispers, and he knows she’s right there’s no going back now… but all he sees when he finally brings himself to look at Liam is a face so full of sadness and concern, which isn’t what he had expected. “Yeah…” it’s all he can bring himself to squeeze out of this throat.

“Theo… I… I had no idea…” Liam falters as other pieces come crashing into his mind, Theo asking where she was as soon as they brought him back, that night on the bridge when he said it was the only way he’d be free. He knows that there’s nothing he can say to make up for what Theo had gone through, so of course he starts rambling “…and we brought you back… and the jail and… I… at the hospital…”

_‘You told him and look what happened’_ “Liam, please just stop.” Theo begs him because he can’t stand that Tara might be correct, and also the picture that’s being painted before him, with the one who said he could tell him about whats happening to him falling apart in front of him. Liam looks to him and Theo explains “I deserved it, you even said so yourself. I just gotta find a way to deal with it.”

Liam rushes in “You didn’t deserve it.” Theo looks at him doubtfully and he continues “Yeah ok, you deserved something for everything you did, but not this, not something thats still effecting you like this.”

Theo gives a bitter little laugh and explains “When you first brought me back I thought it was another trick. Then everything got better for a while, I just wanted to stay alive you know? But it’s gotten worse lately, I keep… uh… I keep dreaming about it and then theres things that I can’t avoid either.”

“Like class the other day?” Liam asks him.

Theo nods “Yeah… like that. I just couldn’t…” he trails off as the atmosphere in the room grows thicker. He can’t stand it and just wants to lighten things again, he can’t risk Liam finding out any more about how damaged he really is. “Okay so… now that I’ve told you one of my darkest secrets it’s my turn to ask you something?” he asks.

Liam turns to look at him in that way that he does when something has caught his interest “There’s more than one dark secret?” Theo just looks at him and he knows he’s not getting anymore out of Theo right now. “Okay yeah… what is it?”

“You said the other night about your mom and things in your past, what was that?” Theo knows he’s hit a sensitive area by the way Liam suddenly looks away and starts fidgeting and he adds “I’m sorry, if you don’t wanna tell me you don’t have to.”

“No… no it’s fine. I know that about you so I should tell you something about me… that’s how this whole trusting each other thing works.” Liam hastily answers.

“It’s not tit for tat Liam… if you don’t wanna answer the question you really don’t have to” Theo tries to reassure him, because in a sense he’s sort of glad he finally told someone at least part of what he’s been dealing with, and he doesn’t want Liam to feel dented to him for his doing so.

“No… uh, it’s fine. Mason knows about it and so did Hayden…” he stops and takes a deep breath before continuing “So when I was younger my dad wasn’t really a nice man. He um… he’d drink a lot and come home and take it out on my mom. I’d hear them arguing and then things getting bashed around downstairs. Sometimes she’d tell me she banged into a door or burned her hand cooking, but then one night I got up for the bathroom and I saw him going to hit her so I just exploded and ran into him, he fell down the stairs…”

“Liam…” Theo trails off, he hadn’t banked on this being the story, he’d thought it was something to do with Liams IED, something along the lines of the story about him trashing a teachers car at his old school. 

“It’s ok, I didn’t kill him. When he was in the hospital my mom packed us up and we left, she knew we couldn’t stay there. She thinks that’s where my IED sort of came from, that I couldn’t do anything for so long and then just exploded.” He looks up to see the sympathetic look on Theos face, and it’s not one he’s used to seeing him wear but he likes the look of it. “She met my step-dad a few years later and he’s been great for her and with me.”

“Jesus…” Theo is interrupted by Liams phone buzzing again, the other boy picks it up and he can hear Jenna Geyer yelling down the phone.

Liam startles and responds as well as he can when he can get a word in “Yeah I’m fine… no I didn’t run away. I’m at Theos… I couldn’t sleep and I knew he was still awake. Yeah I know it’s after midnight. No, his parents…. uh… ” He looks up at Theo as though he’s only just realized something else and continues his half explanations“… his parents are fine with it. Yeah. Yeah. Okay mom I’ll come home soon. Now. Okay, I’ll come home now.”He hangs up the phone and looks at Theo again as he tells him “I guess I gotta get home” as he stands up.

Theo huffs “Rather you than me…” as he laughs because from the little he’s met of Jenna, he wouldn’t want to get on her wrong side of the woman. He stands up to walk Liam to the door. “Thanks… for listening by the way, even though thats not what you came here for.”

Liam stops at the door and turns back to face him “Doesn’t matter what I came here for, I told you I wanted to help you after the other night and I meant it. Call me if anything else happens or we could hang tomorrow again maybe?” 

Theo smiles in spite of himself, because despite having pushed Liam away so much, he actually finds that he enjoys spending time with him “Yeah sure, call me tomorrow and we’ll sort something.” He knows he probably shouldn’t but he cant help himself when he pulls Liam into a hug, and he’s more surprised that he’s not pushed away, but that the hug is returned complete with a pat on the back. “You better go before your mom tracks down my address and comes as a one woman lynch mob” he half jokes as he pulls free from the hug.

Liam jumps back into himself “Oh! Yeah. And thank you too, for tonight.”

Theo nods and smiles and he closes the door saying “Bye Liam.” For the first time in the longest time he feels a little bit lighter, and like maybe he can tackle his memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yyeeesshh... so as I said, sorry if that was a bit of a heavy chapter but hopefully it got some things out of the way and brought our boys closer together...
> 
> There may or may not be some more growing closeness next chapter and there's definitely some more revelations regarding Theos past and dad coming up in the next few chapters :) 
> 
> As always, please do let me know your thoughts... you guys always leave the nicest words for me and it really does encourage me :D


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- This chapter picks up with a one week time skip. 
> 
> \- I'm also changing some things from canon, which you'll see in this chapter, and also just to make it clear, Scott etc… have left town, some of them are dropping in and out, preparing to leave for college but Scott is mentioned in this chapter and should be coming back fairly soon, they’ve just not been featured in the story so far… (seven/eight chapters in… I know…) 
> 
> \- From my understanding of how it works in the UK university/college starts a few weeks to a month after schools so hopefully it makes sense…
> 
> \- Final note - this is long chapter, even by my standards... I’ve covered quite a lot so hopefully it’s not too long of a read, plus I’ve included some things you guys had wanted to see happening…

“How did you…? Dude… not cool!” Liam drops the controller out of his hands and onto the bed and shoves Theo so hard he falls off the bed still laughing.

“I told you I was good at gaming… I’m not sure why this still surprises you almost a week later…” Theo half laughs half grumbles as he pulls himself up from the floor and sits cross legged on Liams bed beside the beta. “Ouch by the way” he says as he rubs his elbow where he fell on it. 

Liam just snickers and asks “Go again?” and they pick up their controllers. “We should see if Corey and Mason wanna join, maybe you can kick their ass for a change!” 

Theo chuckles and moves his hand in a ‘go on’ fashion, and Liam picks up his phone texting quickly. While he’s still wary of spending any great deal of time with the rest of the pack, he’s played online with them in a few different games over the last week ay Liams encouragement when he’s been at the house, and he’s found it to be not as awkward as he’d thought. _‘They’ll all find out eventually… you can’t hide what you are…’_ Taras voice reminds him. He’s found that things are easier around Liam this past week, he’s still had nightmares every night, and he still hears Tara, but somehow Liam always seems to snap him back to reality before he starts to spiral. “Are we gonna play?” he asks, trying to distract himself from Tara standing in the corner.

Liam sits his phone back down on the bed before he laughs “Yeah we’ll wait and see if they reply first, I’m tired of you always winning.”

_‘He doesn’t want you now…’_ Tara comments, and he knows he can’t lose it again in front of Liam, but he doesn’t have the game as a distraction now, so he asks “Did you speak to Hayden by the way?”

Liam looks down and fidgets a little with the bed spread before he replies “Yeah, we talked about everything with clearer heads and we both felt a little better I think…” he looks back up with a grin as he finishes his sentence “…who knew Theo Raeken would actually give good advice?” Theo just rolls his eyes and Liam asks “Hey, did I tell you what we saw at school the other night at practice?”

“Naked guys in the shower again?” Theo asks as he raises his eyebrow suggestively and rolls his eyes, he still takes a little bit of pleasure in winding Liam up and he knows he’s hit his mark when he reaches out and holds Liams shoulder and adds “it’s honestly fine if it turns you on. I mean we could…” and Liams face instantly reddens.

Liam violently shrugs the hand off his shoulder “You know what… you’re such a… why did I even…” Liam falters to even start a sentence that would effectively tell Theo what a jerk he’s being right now.

Theo laughs the loudest he’s laughed in a long time and Tara disappears. He stops laughing and shakes his head “Still too easy Dunbar…”

“Well, no, it wasn’t that, a wolf came on the pitch and just stood there staring at us…” Liam trails off as Theo sits up a little straighter, thats not what he’d expected Liam to say. “… like an actual real wolf, not like us. He was hurt and we followed him into the woods a little… and…” He stops to recall the details and also because he’s still processing the bad feeling he had when he saw what the wolf was leading them to “…and he lead me to what I guess was his pack. They were all dead, like they’d been eaten or rotted from the inside out. Once he got back to his pack he lay down and died beside them and all these little bugs practically erupted from his body.”

“That’s, um… weird” Theo comments as he thinks if there’s anything he’d learned from the Dread Doctors that would explain what Liam had seen. They’d made sure he’d studied and memorized biology to a university level before he’d turned 13… surely he must know something. “Did you check with anyone about it?”

“Yeah Scott was there helping at practice, he followed the wolf with me… He said it could have been a parasitic infection or something that spread through them” Liam explains in an uncertain voice.

“And you’re not convinced?” Theo asks him as he’s thinking that what Scott had said could be possible, it’s rare, but he’s seen rarer things come to be true during his time with the Doctors. “I think it’s possible he could be right, I’ve seen stranger things” he explains. Liam looks like he’s about to ask him what stranger things he’s seen so he quickly asks “Have you heard back from the other two?”

As if on cue Liams phone starts buzzing, he picks up it up and hold it out for Theo to see that it’s Mason who’s calling before he answers and asks “Hey did you get my text?… What? Why were you at school on a Saturday… wait slow down… What? Oh uh… yeah I’ll come over.” He ends the call as he sighs and answers Theos questioning expression “So, um, Mason just called…”

Theo interrupts him “No way, really?”

Liam replies “Shut up asshole” before he continues his explanation “… something weird just happened at the school and after the wolves it needs to be investigated” as he stands up from the bed and slips his sneakers on.

Theo does the same as he says “Ok so I’ll see you tomorrow or something.”

Liam stops putting his hoodie on as he looks over to Theo who is pulling his hoodie on too “Uh… no, I thought we were going together? It’ll be weird if you just go home now.”

“Umm… pretty sure Mason didn’t even know I was here so what’s the difference? And besides, call Scott, he looked into the wolves with you.” Theo answers, he’s not sure whether he wants to go or whether he’d rather avoid the pack in any significant numbers.

“Scotts off sorting out college stuff before it starts in a few weeks” Liam explains, he’s not about to let Theo avoid a situation where he can he useful and this and the perfect opportunity for Theo to spend more time with someone else from the pack. He adds in for a little extra persuasion “And I need your input on this after some of the stuff you must have seen…” 

He doesn’t finish his sentence, but Theo knows where it was headed as Taras voice helpfully finishes it _‘…with the Doctors and what you helped them do to all of us…’_ the room starts darken. He clears his throat try to stop her voice and brings himself back as he replies to Liam “What is it anyway?”

“Mason said he was at the library when he heard all this shouting and screaming, he said it was coming from one of the classrooms where all these rats came running out of the air vents, he said it looked as though they were running from something, like they do from a fire of a flood or something.” Liam takes a breath before adding “He said after what I’d told him about the wolves that we should check it out.”

“Sounds more like a you and Mason thing…” He trails off when he sees Liams disappointed face, and he’s not used to the feeling that it stirs in him, he even takes himself by surprise when he changes the end of his sentence to “Fine I’ll come check it out. But I’m driving.”

Liam grins as he answers “That’s fine, I don’t have a car yet anyways.”

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

As they walk up to meet Mason at the entrance to the tunnel he’d told them to head for he looks a little surprised to see Theo walking towards him alongside Liam. “Oh hey… I didn’t know you were coming” Mason greets Theo, who rolls his eyes and fixes Liam with an ‘I told you so’ glare.

Liam quickly steps in “Yeah we were hanging out…” Theo zones out from the rest of what Liam tells Mason as he thinks to himself _‘great, can’t wait for the fallout from this.’_ He tunes back in to what Liam is saying in time to hear him finish “…and I asked him to come cause he might know more than any of us would.”

If Mason is surprised by the revelation that they’d been hanging out he doesn’t show it and it doesn’t tell on his heartbeat either. He nods as he replies “That’s cool” then he gestures towards the tunnel entrance and asks “Should we go then?” as the starts walking towards it.

To say that Theo is apprehensive about being in these tunnels again is an understatement, he spent most of his time with the Dread Doctors in tunnels and underground facilities just like the labs that these ones lead to, and for all he knows they could have repaired the sword and could be planning on sending him back to Tara. Right on cue he hears her call for him _‘Ttthheeoooo.’_ He stops walking at that point as he feels a presence walking beside them, and tries to control his breathing before anyone can notice. _‘Tttthhheeeoooo’_ she’s calling for him again and he takes a step back on reflex. He wills his heart rate to slow down before he has another panic attack. He’s snapped out of his rising panic by Liam who is suddenly standing in front of him “Theo?” he questions.

“I’m fine.” He shortly replies, the look on Liams face tells him he doesn’t buy it, but he doesn’t try to argue, instead he tries to project as much calm as he can, and Theo is silently greatful for this as he feels the calming scent start to wash over him and calm him down. Theo notices that Mason has turned around and is waiting on them, so he forces himself to start walking, ignoring the feeling that there’s another presence there and that he may well be walking towards his worst nightmares, and instead focusing on the calming scents still rolling off of Liam in waves.

As they walk deeper into the tunnels Mason asks them “Are you guys picking up anything at all? We should be close to the school now.”

Both Theo and Liam answer at the same time “Fear” and Theo adds “and blood…” he stops before he turns his head, sniffing the air as he does before finally stopping. He points to their left and continues “…it smells stronger this way, like it’s coming from there.” 

They walk in the direction that Theo had pointed them in with Mason leading the way and Liam keeping step with Theo who is trying his best to focus on the task at hand and not thoughts of his sister calling for him and the last few times he was in these tunnels with this pack. The find what Liam and Theo had been smelling, a group of rats all tangled up, blood and guts everywhere like they’d pulled each other apart in a bid to get free and away from whatever had spooked them. Both Mason and Liams collective “Ew… oh god… what the… gross…” echo throughout the tunnel as Theo bends down for a closer look at the rats. He picks one up and examines it closely, sniffing at it as he does, and the exclamations from the other two intensify as he holds it out for them to look at. “What do you think happened to them?” Liam asks him as he’s carefully putting the creature down beside the others. 

“Looks like a Rat King.” Theo replies as he stands back up to face a grossed out Liam and a curious looking Mason.

“A what?” Liam questions as he looks to the tangled mess of dead rats and back to Theo “There’s a rat king amongst all of that?”

Theo sighs and can’t help the “No dumbass” that rolls off his tongue before he explains “It’s a rare phenomenon, rats get spooked or freak out by something, they try to run, climb over each other blah blah blah… they get tangled up with their tails, that only increases their fear and eventually they end up tearing each other apart trying to break free.”

Mason nods and adds in “Yeah… I’m sure I’ve read about something like that a while ago.”

It’s at that moment that Corey morphs in to appear beside Mason “I couldn’t pick anything up around the tunnels” he supplies as he appears. 

Theo jumps so much he’s surprised he didn’t hit his head on the roof. “Jesus!” he says and looks at the now three people in front of him, two of them are standing like it’s the most natural thing in the world and Liam looks like he got a bit of a shock too. “What the hell?” Theo asks.

Corey has the decency to look sorry for scaring them and supplies an explanation “Sorry, I forget that not everyone can see where I am like Mason can. I was looking around to see if could trace anything that wouldn’t be visible to you guys that would have caused this, but I couldn’t find anything."

Theo turns to address Liam “I think you might be right, there could be something bigger going on here” Liam nods and waits for him to continue explaining “I mean, I’m not a hundred percent sure that there is, but if thats two cases in the space of a few days with different species being torn apart and smelling of fear, then I think it’s probably worth looking into.”

They start walking back out of the tunnels and stop as they exit, Liam and Mason are exchanging friendly banter, with Liam teasing Mason for even studying on a Saturday to begin with. Theo stands awkwardly a little but away from the group, unsure of what he’s supposed to do, he’s not sure whether he should try to join in or to turn and leave quietly. His awkward feeling isn’t helped by Corey looking at him with a regarding expression. He’s about to turn and leave when Liam and Mason walk back over towards the two chimeras and Corey suddenly suggests “Hey we should all go grab some pizza or something?” 

Mason nods and Liams face lights up, they had been about to make something to eat when Mason had called them here. Half of Theo wants to join them, wants to reach out and spend time with people and away from the ever increasing nightmares and visions of his sister. But the other half is filled with the doubts that Tara has already planted in his mind about his acceptance. He tries to get out of the invite by saying “Eat after what we just saw in there? You two were nearly sick at the sight of it…” as he points between Liam and Mason.

Its Corey who retorts instead of Liam, who Theo had expected to try to convince him “Trust me nothing puts them off eating, and you and I have seen our fare share of more gross things so I think we’re all good…”

“I…” Theo starts to give his apologies that he can’t make it for food with them, but he remembers that he was going to spend the day hanging with Liam so he can’t make the excuse that he has something else to do, and he knows he cant be honest about why he doesn’t want to join them. He really can’t find a way to get out of it so he reluctantly agrees to join them “Ok cool.” He’s rewarded with a smile from Liam and they walk back to where Theo had parked beside Masons car. 

“See you guys there?” Mason asks when Liam automatically walks over to the passenger door of Theos truck.

“Guess so…” Theo says as he resists the urge sigh, getting in the truck and following Masons car.

 

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After they’ve placed their orders Mason asks Theo “So where’ve you been hiding yourself man? We’ve not seen you since last week in class.”

Theo freezes as the waitress brings their drinks to the table “Umm…” he’s not really sure how to respond, he can’t tell the others the reason he ran out of the class although Liam knows a little bit of why, and he can’t say he’s been sick because they don’t get sick. He looks at Liam. 

Liam seems to notice Theos discomfort at the question and at being the centre of attention at the table as everyone waits on an answer. He jumps in to answer the question “he said he doesn’t really need to attend the classes this early in the school year since hepassed them all last time around…” Theo releases a breath and sends a ‘thank you’ look towards Liam.

Mason looks curious and like he wants to ask more but Corey cuts him off by answering “You’re so lucky, essentially you get to pick and choose what classes you want to attend for now?”

Theo smiles and nods as he replies “Yeah… uh… pretty much.”

“So what you do with your free time when you’re not going to school?” Corey then asks him.

Mason adds in “Yeah man… we’ve hardly seen you around.”

Theo knows it’s an innocent enough question but he’s struggling to think of an answer before the way to deflect the questioning away from him quickly comes to him and answers “Mostly working out and gaming” before he deadpans “gotta get perfect so I can kick Liams ass.”

Both Mason and Corey burst out laughing at Liams “Hey! I’m not that bad.”

Theo laughs and replies “Yeah, you’re not that bad… that’s why I kicked your ass almost every time on Tekken.”

Liam knocks his arm against Theos and shoves him lightly before he retorts “Just cause you have all day to laze around and play games while some us have to go to school!”

Mason laughs and agrees with Theo “Dude… you are kind of terrible at that one.”

“Like you’re one to talk! You die instantly every time you play Call Of Duty.” Liam shoots back at his friend.

The waitress brings their pizzas and effectively cuts off the conversation instantly as they all start devouring the food.As they eat Theo thinks how easy it was the spend time with them once he deflected the conversation away from himself and to something that they’d all bonded on a little through the week. 

After they finish eating and leave the restaurant Mason offers to drive Liam home and Liam tells him “It’s cool Theos gonna drop me off.” Theo starts to feel awkward again as the other two sets of eyes look between him and Liam, who quickly adds in “he was helping me with Biology homework when you called.”

Mason gives a small laugh and lightly hits Liam on the shoulder as he asks in a light tone “And you were giving me a hard time earlier about studying on a Saturday?” he looks between Liam and Theo again with a look that Theo can’t decipher when he says “Okay cool, I’ll see you tomorrow or Monday.” He looks back to Theo and tells him “Nice seeing you man, come hang out more often” and he turns and gets in the car. Corey gives him a nod and gets in the passenger seat as the two drive off as Theo and Liam get in the truck and do the same.

As they pull up to Liams house for Theo to drop him off Jenna is in the driveway opening the trunk of her car. Liam steps out of the tuck muttering under his breath as she walks up to the drivers side and leans her arm on the door where the window is pulled down to speak to Theo “Hey Theo hows things?” she asks. It’s not that Liam is ashamed of his mom, far from it, but he’s tried to keep Theo and her apart after their last encounter over dinner, and his moms persistent questions about the nice boy who looks like he needs a good hug.

Theo still uncomfortable at how nice and welcoming this lady has been to him, and the amount of interest she’s taking. He smiles and answers “Things are good thanks…” he bites back the Mrs Geyer at the glare that she gives him and adds in “…Jenna” instead, which turns her glare into a smile again.

Jenna turns to look at her son and says “At least one of your friends picked it up quickly enough” before she turns her attention back to Theo “Are you coming in or do you need to rush off again?”

“Um…” he tries to speak, he didn’t know she’d seen him dropping Liam off a few times this week, maybe Liam had told her though. 

“Come on. I’m not that scary am I? I’ve seen you dropping this one off through the week and rushing off without coming in to say hi.” She tells him as he nods her head towards her car and adds “Besides, you can help Liam carry in the groceries.”

Liam sighs and automatically says “But mom….”

She laughs and Theo also does as she tells him “See what I mean? It’ll be easier with the two of you doing it… save me listening to ‘but mmoooomm’ after every trip out to the car” then she adds in “I’ll even reward you with food…” she breaks off and holds her hands up before adding “… I promise I won’t interrogate you this time.”

“Mom we just had pizza with Mason and Corey” Liam answers for him.

“Oh… well you should still come in for a while.” She tells Theo.

Theo looks quickly to Liam who nods at him, a sign that he should take her up on the invite. He looks back to Jenna and rolls his eyes in a joking manner and answers “Yeah okay…”

She excitedly raps her hands on the truck door before smiling and saying “Yes!” before stepping back and letting Theo open the door and exit the vehicle. 

She points at the trunk of her car and Theo quickly realizes why Liam had grumbled about it a few minutes ago, it’s not just the trunk that’s filled with bags but the entire back seat too, it looks like she bought the whole grocery store. As they carry some of the bags in and set them down on top of the counter in the kitchen he asks Liam “Did your mom buy the entire store?”

Before Liam can answer him Jenna cuts in as she enters the kitchen “No… that only happens when Liam and David come with me cause then I have to get all the extras” as she groans trying to lift the bags up onto the counter. Theo quickly takes them out of her hands and sets them down. She nods a thanks and tells Liam “I like this one… helpful and funny… bring him around more often!” 

After they finish bringing in the shopping for Jenna, Theo asks her “Do you want any help putting them away?” to which Liam manages to sigh and groan at the same time. Jenna laughs lightly and shoos them both upstairs.

 

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They’re standing at the door to Liams house, Theo is just about the leave. The night passed relatively quickly and lightly and Theo feels better than he has in a long time. Liam has really helped him this week to stay focused and he feels a lot lighter with their growing friendship, but he’s still dreading going home because he knows what waits for him is nothing but sadness and being alone with his thoughts and memories. “Thanks for tonight I had fun” he tells Liam.

Liam smiles and reaches out to touch his arm as he replies “You don’t need to thank me, I told you I wanted you to hang out with all of us more, but I’m glad it’s helping you and you enjoyed it” Theo knows his puzzled feeling must be showing on his face and Liam answers the unspoken question “You think I didn’t notice the bags under your eyes or how you seemed a little bit more relaxed this week?”

“Oh…” is all that Theo can say, and he does what feels right at that moment, reaching out and pulling Liam into a hug. As the start to move out of the hug he brushes his lips against Liams cheek as he whispers “Thanks.” He breathed in the scent of the beta that he finds himself becoming more dependent on to calm him as he does. He feels the moment that Liam registers what happened as hear him gasp and his muscles tighten and he pulls out of the hug completely. “I… I’m sorry” Theo mumbles as he takes a step backwards.

Liam quickly shakes his head as he stumbles out “No… I… No you don’t need to be sorry.” He can’t say he was expecting this, but it’s not something he’s entirely opposed to, he’s enjoyed spending time with Theo this last week, Theo has helped him get over Hayden almost as much as he’s trying to help Theo with what is going on with him. He has felt himself getting more drawn to the chimera and getting more protective of him over the last while, more so since he found him on the bridge that night.

Theo takes another step back as he motions over his shoulder towards the truck “Sorry I… I’ll just…” and he turns to leave.

Liam reaches out and grabs Theos bicep, turning him back round “No. Don’t be sorry” he tells Theo as he pulls him towards himself and kisses him on the lips. He pulls away from the kiss and touches Theos chin “If I hadn’t wanted it I’d have punched you in the face” he says.

Theo laughs as he takes a step back as he asks “Okay I get it… so I’ll see you…?” he trails off, still unsure despite the betas words that he’ll want to see him again after this.

Liam replies “See you tomorrow? Your place this time?”

“Sure” Theo smiles as he turns and walks back to his truck, missing the large grin that spreads across Liams face before he closes the door.

 

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Theo is sitting parked in the lot reflecting on what happened after he’d left Liams house that led him to this point. He’d driven as though he was on autopilot up to the lookout point on the cliff that overlooks Beacon Hills. He’d sat there thinking about everything that had happened in the last week, how he felt himself growing closer to Liam and not being so opposed to the betas company. He’d been great at helping him and calming him down, and Theo had found himself on occasions when his memories overwhelmed him sniffing at the area on the couch where Liam had sat a few times. If you’d asked him last year, or even when they brought him back where he’d thought his life would be going, he’d never have guessed it would have led him here… and if he’s honest with himself he’s afraid to let himself be happy, to let himself believe that Liam could want him even half as much as he feels himself being drawn to the boy. He knows all too quickly how good things can be stripped away… how he could be punished for wanting something or daring to think for himself.

He’s been parked in the lot for a half hour, messing with his phone in his hand going to make the call then backing out at the last minute. The person he’s thinking about calling is Scott, Liam had told him before he left that he was going to call the alpha and tell him about the rats they’d found earlier today… Theo thinks that Scott definitely needs to know about the spider that just embedded itself in his hand while he was parked at the lookout, and how it had disappeared in a puff of green mist when he extracted it from his own back at the animal clinic about forty minutes ago. He’s not sure however, that Scott would want to hear about it from him, the alpha had reluctantly agreed to Liams plan that he could help them fight the ghost riders, and seemed to accept his help in the final fight with them, but he also hadn’t made any sort of effort to speak to him the last few months or to acknowledge his presence in town.

He takes a deep breath as he finally resolves to make the call, he lifts the phone in his hand and lifts his thumb to press the call button when he’s distracted by a light shining in the drivers side window. “Okay sorry I’ll move…” he tells the person, thinking it's a security guard or a cop moving him along from being parked in an empty back lot. Its at that moment another three lights shine through the truck windows and he hears the guns being cocked that he realizes something is very wrong. He slowly moves his hands to hold them up, showing that he’s not armed and not a threat to whoever or whatever this is. They open fire and he can’t describe the pain of the bullets hitting him from the four guns, he starts to feel dizzy and feels his world fading to black as he realizes they’d dosed him with wolfsbane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just gonna hide behind the sofa after this one I think :') 
> 
> P.S - I can either do the kidnapping scene in next chapter or as a standalone angsty one shot which will serve as a companion piece to this one… I'm suggesting this because what I have planned for it is really not very pretty and will contain lots and lots of Theo angst, flashbacks, and hurt … the comfort part comes after in the next chapter after this scene… I'm asking/suggesting this as I value everyone who's read and commented so far :) 
> 
> As always... please do let me know your thoughts :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Firstly, thanks to everyone again who commented/reblogged/liked/gave kudos on the last chapter, I know I keep saying it, but genuinely, you guys don’t know how much it means to me… I decided to go with the more popular vote and include the kidnapping scene in this chapter, so now the warnings without giving too much away (although I’m sure you all know by now where this has been heading) 
> 
> 2) About a day and a half has passed from the last chapter, just a heads up.
> 
> 3) *WARNINGS*: Please, please, please, take note, because oh boy. Even writing it I had to change things to make it less dark and still wonder if it’s too much or too trigger filled (I’m probably over reacting because I don’t usually write as dark or detailed as this and I’m slightly concerned)  
> *Abuse *Rape *Manipulation *Physical Abuse/Beatings *Child Abuse (any type of trigger warnings apply here because I’m covering a fair bit in this chapter both alluding to it and depicting scenes of it) 
> 
> 4) My promised tissue/angst warning is in full effect.

The first thing Theo becomes aware of is the cold that’s seeping into him, he feels drained and the exhaustion is pulling him back under but there’s a knowledge that he can’t fall asleep again, he’s not sure why though. As he starts become more aware he feels the cold hard surface he’s lying on and very lightly presses his finger into it only to realize it’s a metal surface. _‘Tttthhheeeoooo’_ Taras voice echos in his mind. He can’t be back here, they can’t have sent him back, Liam told him they wouldn’t, Liams been trying to help him, why would he send him back to her now? He readies himself to open his eyes and prepare for the inevitable, knowing he can’t avoid it or she’ll find him in here again… It’s not until he takes a deep breath that the pain in his ribs registers, and he tries to sit up but finds that his hands and feet are restrained, as he weakly pulls at the restraints he registers the pain coming from his hands and feet. His heart rate quickens and he opens his eyes, having to quickly shut them as the light in the room assaults his eyes as he groans ‘not in the ground’ he thinks, he never woke up like this there…

It’s at that moment that he becomes aware that there’s someone in the room with him as he hears the footsteps walk towards him slowly “Finally you’re awake…” the male voice trails off as the footsteps stop beside him. He opens his eyes slowly this time and finds that the light in the room isn’t that bright, he wonders how long he was out for when the person grabs his face with one hand and turns his head so that he can look at them “I was wondering when you’d wake up again… had to do a number on you after that escape attempt.” The man informs him. 

“Es…escape?” he tries to make his voice work “What?” he questions the man in a scratchy voice which makes his throat hurt, his memory is too foggy and he feels like he’s floating.

The man leans in closer to his face as he tells him in a too sweet voice “Theo… I know we had to make sure you wouldn’t run again but you can cut the act. You remember…” the words and room fade away and he’s transported back to a time from his childhood when he was tied in a similar fashion on a softer bed with similar pains assaulting his body, his father looms over his face as he tells him _“You ran away and I can’t have people finding out about our little secrets. You know I love you son…”_ Just as his dad leans in towards his face he’s quickly pulled out of the memory by a slap to his face and his head thrashes to the other side. The man moves down to his feet and Theo has to strain to look down to see him, he grabs one of his feet and Theo can’t help the scream that finds it’s way out of his throat. The man laughs as he lets the foot go and levels a glare at Theo “Yeah… you won’t be running anywhere for a while.” He motions off to the side and more people, this time with their faces covered, appear beside him as one injects his arm with a substance he’s sure won’t put him under, but he finds his world fading in and out. 

He’s aware of being hoisted up from the bed by the people surrounding him, he can hear their voices mingling together as he feels like he’s floating again, but can’t understand their words. They stop and lower him down, stand him on his feet which are giving him a dulled pain, and his hands are tied and pulled above him. They leave him hanging there as he drifts on the line between conscious and unconscious, hearing the voices come and go as blurred figures appear and disappear in front of him. 

He knows he’s been standing there for some time when he starts to feel less floaty and notices the room is a lot darker than it was before they injected him. His memories along with the pain are starting to become clearer now, and the pain in his feet is getting close to being almost unbearable now. He wonders what the hell they did to him when they caught him at the door… The familiar scent of the man who’d been there when he woke up becomes more pronounced and then the man appears in front of him. “Back with us?” he’s asked. Theo knows he probably shouldn’t but he can’t help the self satisfied grin that comes to his face at the thought that he pissed these humans off, and that they’re so afraid of him getting free again, so much so that they had to beat him to this point, and then dose him up with some mixture. The man smiles back at him and tells him “Oh… you won’t be smiling for long. The others are gone and there’s something I’ve back aching to try.” 

The needle is held up in front of him again before it’s turned around and the man injects him in his chest. The drifting feeling returns too quickly this time, and he feels the man walking behind him and pulling at the waist of his jeans. He tries to weakly fight it as he mumbles “No…” and finds himself drifting into a dream about a memory he’d long since buried…

 

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_“Theo is everything okay?” the sheriff asks him with a concerned gaze._

_He starts to reply “I… he…” when the door to the office opens and his father walks in. He quickly wipes the tears away._

_“Thanks for calling Mr Stilinski…” Jonathan says as he walks into the Sheriffs Office, taking a seat across the desk from the Sheriff next to his son “…I was so worried. Annie had to leave in a hurry earlier today with Tara while Theo was at school, her mom took ill and had to be rushed into hospital and she lives in Idaho…” he looks at his son and reaches out to hold Theos shoulder, Theo tenses and a sharper hold warns him not to pull away as his father looks back to the Sheriff, continuing “…he was upset that they didn’t wait for him, he loves his nana, and he kicked off when he found out they left without him… he must have climbed out the bedroom window when I sent him up to his room.”_

_The sheriff straightens up in his chair and sighs before saying “Yeah no worries Jonathan…” he turns his attention to Theo “Theo, don’t you wanna apologize for worrying your father for being out alone so late, especially when he’s already worried enough?” The sheriff asks him. Theo looks down to his lap and shakes his head slightly, he can’t go home with his dad, he knows what will happen when he gets home, alone, with his father. The sheriff says “Theo…” in a tone that’s half concern and half annoyance._

_He hears his dad sigh deeply, ever the concerned parent, and say to the sheriff “That’s okay sheriff, it’s a tough time for us all right now. I’m just glad he’s okay…” Theo looks up to the sheriff hoping to catch his eyes and that he won’t send him home with his dad, but the mans attention is solely focused on the other adult in the room, who continues “… we’ll just get out of your hair and get back to sleep.”_

_Both men stand up and a touch to Theos neck from his dad tells him to do the same. “See you guys around… and I hope Annies mom is doing better” the sheriff says as he holds his hand out and Jonathan shakes it. The sheriff then looks down to Theo, who is slowly trying to step away from his dad, and addresses him “Theo… if you’re sad about not being with your mom or worried about your nana talk to someone and tell them. You can’t keep running away like this son, it’s not safe…”_

_“Apologize to the sheriff Theo, I’m sure he has better things to be dealing with at this hour than another stupid runway kid…” his dad tells him instantly._

_Theo thinks that the sheriff doesn’t know he’s safer outside at night than he is at home with his dad. “Sorry sheriff… I will.” he tells the man._

_Before he can open his mouth to say anything else he’s quickly herded out of the station and tightly belted into the front seat of his dads car. “Where I keep a good eye on you…” his dad tells him as he gets into the drivers seat and rests a hand on his sons knee as he starts the car…_

_The scene shifts to Theo lying on his parents bed, tied in place. His body aches all over, but it’s his buttocks, which most of his weight is on, and feet hurt the most from the earlier beating his dad had given him before dragging him up to the bedroom and tying him down. The bedroom door opens and his dad staggers in and walks towards the foot of the bed. He takes a hold of his sons right foot and punches it again. Theo cries out in pain, his dad laughs and tells him “Just to punch my lesson home…” as he crawls up the bed to lie on his side next to Theo after he unties him from the bed “…no running away”. A hand is placed on his stomach and Theo flinches, hissing as he awakens the pains all over his body again. “Relax son… you know it’s always easier if you relax…”_

_Theo tries to reason with his dad “D..dad… I’m sorry…” he trails off as hid dads hand moves down his stomach slightly. “S…sorry dad. It won’t happen again.”_

_His dad chuckles and leans in, kisses him and then pulls away as he sneers “You’re so pathetic. You know what happens when you try to stop it. If you hadn’t run away this wouldn’t hurt as much as it will…” and the hand on his body moves lower still._

_Theo blanks out almost instantly, he can feel whats happening and where his dad is touching, but he feels like he’s floating somewhere above his body and like he’s not really there. He snaps back to reality when his dad forcefully pushes at his sore ribs, turning him onto his side and then pushing him again completely over onto his front. His minds takes him away again before he can be too aware of what happening, the familiar defense mechanism kicking in as he feels the sharp pain of something too big being forced into an opening far too small and his dad starts to grunt…_

 

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Theo is snapped back to reality by an all too familiar squelching noise and someone pulling out of him. His jeans are roughly pulled back up and fastened as the man is still behind him, circling his hands around Theos front. He whispers in his ear “It wasn’t just patients I enjoyed sticking it to…” as he disappears from behind Theo, who realizes at that moment who the man is, his identity clicking into place at his twist on Theos earlier taunt ‘Schrader’ he thinks.

When he hears the door close, behind Schrader, Theo releases the breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding in a huff as he allows the tears to fall. He won’t let them see that they’ve got to him, that Schrader has broken him in ways that he’d spent his years with the Dread Doctors trying to forget, he knows he can’t afford to let them see it. He thinks about Liam and wonders if he realized that he’s missing yet. He’d spent years pushing away any human connections and then most recently Liams attempts to build a friendship and getting him to join the pack. But now… now he finds himself missing Liam and the others. If he ever gets out of this, he decides he won’t look the gift horse that Liams been offering him in the mouth again, now that he finds himself missing the pack bonds that he’s never really had or even wanted to be part of. 

He shifts his weight and the pain in his feet starts up again, looking down at the floor he sees little trials of blood seeping out from under his feet and he tries to take the pressure off them by taking his weight on his wrists, but after his hands start to tingle and go numb he has to put his full weight back on his aching feet.

The door opens again somewhere behind him and he hears the familiar footsteps of the man he now recognizes approaching. As the footsteps get closer they stop behind him,Theo squeezes his eyes closed and tried not to tense as he prays to a god he doesn’t even believe in that it won’t happen again so soon. Instead he hears something being placed on the ground, and he opens his eyes as he feels a hand caress his right side and slide almost lovingly across his back to his left side before the hand lifts off his body and Schrader steps in front of him.The man looks him up and down before smiling at one side of his mouth and asking “You know that was a stupid move right?”

Theo decides he’ll play along, he’s not sure what the guy is talking about but if he can stop him touching him in that way then he’ll use any method he can for as long as he can. “What was a stupid move?” he croaks out. His voice is too scratchy from his dry throat and screaming from when they beat him he guesses.

Schrader shrugs and replies “Helping those two escape… You know we’ve found them… surrounded them and all your buddies at the cops station?”

Theos stomach drops at this, he’s not sure and given the last two days, he can’t get a good enough read on the man at this point to know if he’s telling the truth or trying to use another method of manipulating him. Liam… Liam can’t be there. He wants to save the only person who’s ever really cared enough to look past his tough exterior and try to help piece him back together without even asking why he’s doing it. No. They can’t have caught them, and Liam, and everyone else, if they had they’d have brought them all back here.

“You don’t believe me…” Schrader sighs and continues “… but you will. No-ones coming for you Theo… and you’re definitely not going anywhere.” Theo sighs and buries down the grief at his situation and that he feels for Liam at this moment. Schrader walks behind him again and lightly touches his back, keeping his hand in place as he says “We’ll have our fun… they’ll find out what they need to know about you and your kind by dissecting you piece by piece, and then we might put you out of your misery.” Theo hears the item that was put down behind him being picked up, and before he can take another breath his back explodes into pain as he hears the crack of what sounds too much like a whip. 

He’s not sure how long he’s been hit with the whip, when it finally stops he can hardly breath through the pain or see from the sweat dripping from his forehead into his eyes. All of his weight is on his wrists now, his legs became too weak to hold him up some time ago. He tries to slow his breathing and to breathe through the pain thats radiating from his back all the way through his body. Even taking shallow breaths feels like it hurts too much. As his vision starts to focus again Schrader steps back around in front of him with that smug grin on his face. 

The man asks “Had enough yet?” Theo knows that even if he could make his voice work at this point he still wouldn’t answer the man. He starts to drift and hears his fathers voice _‘When you will you learn? Anything that you can give, it’ll never be enough. You can’t win”_ A sigh draws his attention back to the man in front of him who says “No… I don’t think you have.” He’s then injected again and waits for the floating feeling which never comes, his face must show his surprise and Schrader supplies an answer “A little something to help your healing progress at an… er… more human pace.” 

He’s left alone with his thoughts again as Schrader walks away and closes the door behind him. He allows himself to sob a little before stopping himself. It’s never paid to show weakness in the past, and he won’t start breaking the habit he’s learned painfully over the years by letting Schrader see it now. He’s not sure how much longer he’ll be able to hold on though, he’s determined they won’t see how broken he can be made to be by what they’re doing, but he can feel his resolve fading. With each passing torture the man is inflicting on him. It’s almost as though he’s dug into Theos mind and pulled out his worst memories of his father and is combining them into one long reenactment.He drifts off into a dreamless sleep as the pain pulls him deep under.

A splash of cold water shocks him into consciousness, and he’s not sure how much time has passed but there’s not light creeping through the little window in the room so he’s guessing it’s not been long. Schrader supplies “You fell asleep on me. Right when we were getting to the fun part.” Theo bites back the scoff as he wonders what everything else has been so far if this man is saying what comes next is the fun part for him. Electric clamps are held up in front of him, and he knows his face must betray his fear as Schraders face lights up with a billion dollar smile. “Yeah… the fun part” he taunts as he waves the clamps in front of Theos face. He can’t, he can’t go through this again. He had fought off the memories when he was tied to the gate and electrocuted with the two werewolves, but he’s not sure he’ll be able to block them this time given how weak his resolve not to break is becoming… He’s brought out of his thoughts by the clamps being attached to his arms fingers, toes and chest, because of course his chest wouldn’t be left alone, right over his stolen heart. _“Tttthhheeeooooo”_ he hears Tara call right on cue. 

Before he can form another thought his whole body tenses and erupts into a sharp pain. Just when he feels like his body will pull itself apart from the tension the pain stops and he slumps in his bonds once more, gasping for air. It starts again almost as soon as it stopped and he can’t even think from the pain and the tension in his body. This happens another ten times, each bout of electricity getting worse in strength and longer in the time its administered. He knows he’s crying as he gasps for breath around the fading tension in his body, he feels himself slipping into unconsciousness, and finds that he can’t even bring himself to care about anything anymore. He wishes they would just kill him. He feels another injection, this time in his neck.

He feels the now familiar floating feeling, as he’s starting drift again he hears loud thud as the presence in from of him disappears and a growl sounds as there’s suddenly too many hands on his body and he needs to get them off. He’s trying to move but he’s too sore and to weak, he just knows he cant have anyone touching him again. He manages to press out a strained whimper and hears a familiar voice full of concern whisper “Theo…” as everything goes dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah…. I’m sorry… Next comes the comfort to the hurt, and a lot of fluff/fix it for this dark dark chapter... happier times are ahead I promise!!
> 
> As usual, please let me know your thoughts, I love hearing from you guys :) 
> 
> If anyone wants to check out my Tumblr its: stylish-kid-in-the-riot.tumblr.com - mostly filled with posts about this and other reblogs, but I'm learning how to use it...


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah... again!! I'm blown away by all of your comments and kudos/likes etc... I know I keep saying it, but you all really amaze me every single time! Especially with the last chapter, so thank you all so much!
> 
> I don't really have a lot to say before this chapter compared to the last one, just a few end notes, so I'll just let you dive in:

 

Liam carries the unconscious chimera through the back door of the clinic, almost barreling his way though until he gets to the treatment room where Deaton is standing beside a stand of tools with gloves on his hands, ready to jump into action as soon as Theo is placed on the operating bed. Liam stops just as he reaches the bed, he can feel Theo beginning to fade in his grasp and he doesn’t want to release him. “Liam” Deatons calm quiet voice echos in the room “I need you put him down, I can’t help him if he’s still in your arms…” he indicates to the bed.

Scott enters the room with Malia and Lydia trailing behind him. Scott takes in the sight of his beta holding the beaten chimera and quickly runs to the sink, scrubbing up and putting on gloves so that he can help clean him up.

Liam takes a breath “He’s… I…” he’s being hit with what he walked into at the hunters den, the scents in the room still thick in his nose.

Scott and Corey exchange a glance and Scott nods to Corey, who places a light touch to the top of Liams arm “Theo needs treatment Liam… you need to let him go.” That directs Liams gaze down to Theo, he takes in the appearance of him and gently places him down on the bed, Theo flinches and tenses and groans in pain, feeling the pain from the pressure on his back even in his unconscious state. Corey supplies “his back… they’ve um… it’s all cut open.”

Deaton springs into action almost immediately, asking for help to turn him onto his side. Liam quickly moves to help, when this is done and Theos breathing calms a little, Deaton asks the assembled group with the exception of Scott to go and wait in the waiting are out front. Liam refuses to leave the room “No… he’ll need a friendly face when he wakes up… you don’t know…” he breaks off. They don’t know what Theo has been through already, they didn’t see what he had walked in on…

The group exchange looks, they didn’t know that Liam considered Theo a friend now. Scott files that away for later, and walks over to his beta “Liam, I know you’re in shock but we’ll look after him, you know that. He’s been badly hurt and he needs treatment. I’ll call you in as soon as we’re done and you can come back in.” Liam looks up to meet his alphas eyes, he feels the sincerity rolling off of him, and despite the fact that he knows Scott still doesn’t fully trust Theo, he also knows he wouldn’t harm him either. He nods and lets himself be lead out of the treatment room into the waiting area.

Deaton is assessing Theos condition when Scott turns back and walks over to the table. They take in the bruising on his face, pressing and touching areas to check if there’s further underlying damage, when they find none they begin to move down his body, following the same procedure, noticing the extent of the cuts and bruising marring the body in front of them. Theo flinches a few times when they press over his ribs where theres much darker bruising. “Why isn’t he healing?” Scott asks “I know he heals slower than us, but he should have started healing by now?” as he’s preparing to start stitching some of the deeper and longer cuts on Theos upper half. 

As he’s moving round to start examine the back of Theos body, Deaton replies “We’ll need to take bloods and examine them, there’s at least three injection sites so far, they may have dosed him with some form of drugs that would affect him, and maybe impair his healing?” He’s performing the same checks as they did on Theos front, but he avoids his back, which is essentially a mess of cuts. As he moves to the bottom of the chimeras back he notices a stain on Theos denims where there really shouldn’t be one. “Scott?” he asks, getting the alphas attention and pointing to the spot thats troubling him.

Scott comes around the table to look at the spot that Deaton is pointing to “You don’t think…?” he questions.

“Lets look so we know what we’re dealing with here. We’ll take the bloods and run them first, then when we’re done examining him we’ll know what they injected him with and if we can find something to counter that too. Then we should stitch his wounds if they’re still not healing on their own.” Deaton decides.

Scott takes the bloods from Theo and Deaton starts the tests running before they go back to examining him. Scott stands at the back of Theo and Deaton at his front they exchange a nod and attempt to get Theo out of his bottoms, as soon as they touch Theos denims he whines and slightly moves back. Scott looks to Deaton who places a calm but firm hand on Theos shoulder and leans forward gently “Theo… it's ok…”

A broken voiced “Nnn…” comes from Theo as he scrunches his face up and flinches slightly at the contact. 

Deaton tries again “You’re at the clinic…”

Theo tenses and tries to move again, which only causes him to hiss in pain as his breathing quickens, Deaton looks to Scott who tries “It’s ok, we’ve got you… We’re trying to clean you up. Liam found you and brought you back…”

The mention of Liam sparks some recognition and Theo calms slightly as he quietly murmurs “Liam.”

Deaton confirms “Yes Liam. He found you and brought you here. We’re going to try and clean you up now ok?” Theo doesn’t answer, Deaton assumes he’s unconscious again, and he touches Theos belt the boy flinches again, whispering what sounds like a protest but his voice to too broken for them to understand anything he’s saying. Deaton back up to Scott who looks like he’s frozen in place. “Perhaps we should call Liam in?” he questions the alpha.

“Why? I’m not sure he’d want any of them knowing…” he grimaces as he trails off and gestures over Theos body, there’s probably not a part of him that’s not marked in some way.

“Mentioning Liam seemed to calm him, and if the two have struck up some kind of bond then he might respond better to Liams presence than he will to either of us.” Deaton tell him.

Scott nods and leaves the room to walk to the front of the clinic where the waiting room is. He finds the pack all sitting down, Liam is all but folded in on himself in his seat and Corey is sitting beside him telling him he’s sure everything will be okay. They all look up when they see Scott enter the room, except Liam who practically jumps out of his seat. “Uh… Liam. Can you help us in here?”

As they walk back towards the treatment room Liam asks “Is everything ok?”

Scott stops and puts a hand on Liams shoulder, he sighs and says “It’s not pretty, what they’ve done to him, he’s been really hurt and…” he’s not sure how to even say it or Liam noticed it.

Liam saves him from having to explain “…I got the scents in there when we found him, I know it’s not gonna be pretty, but I want to help.”

“Deaton thought you might be able to help, that The might respond better if you were there while we’re cleaning him up” Scott tells him. Liam nods and they walk back into the room where Theo is still lying on his side shaking slightly now, and Deaton is over working on the counter looking at the bloods. 

Deaton looks up when they enter and tells them “Ok… so we have two different strains of wolfsbane, mixed with some sedatives in his blood, which is probably what’s keeping him mostly under right now.”

Liam cuts in by asking “But he’s not effected by mountain ash, why would the wolfsbane work on him?”

Deaton explains “They probably knew what he was. Gerard at least will know about the chimeras. My guess is they’ve managed to engineer a strain that will work on Chimeras, not as well as werewolves, but it’ll still effect them, that’s why we have two strains…” he stops and takes a breath then goes on to explain “They’ve also given him something, I’m not sure how they achieved it, but it’s working separately from the wolfsbane and preventing his accelerated healing.” He walks back over to Theo and he motions for Liam and Scott to come over to the table. “I thought you might be able to help us keep him more calm while we clean him up and work on his wounds, he’ll need stitches on his back for sure, and then there’s the… uh…” Deaton stops himself, sending a questioning looks at Scott and silently asking if he’d told Liam everything.

“I know, I saw it when I found him. And the scents in the room… he was… they… he was about to do it again when we got there…” Liam can’t bring himself to say it. From what little he knows about Theo he knows that this experience will be a factor for more nightmares, and he’s determined he’s going to help him get through this too.

Deaton nods “Okay, lets get to work.”

The next hour is spent with Scott and Deaton cleaning Theos wounds and stitching up his back, and Liam stroking his hand through the chimeras hair while, his other hand is holding one of Theos taking his pain and he’s uttering quiet comforting words that Scott hadn’t thought he’d see from Liam, never mind seeing him direct them at Theo. He definitely needs to have a talk with Liam about this later. They move onto removing Theos denims and the chimera, who had mostly been quiet and calm with the occasional protest or groan quietened by Liam, starts to back away and mumble “Nnnoo, p… please no”

Liam looks up to Scott who nods at him to carry on. He leans into Theos ear and whispers “Theo it’s Liam. I told you I wouldn’t let anything bad happen to you and… and I’m sorry that I wasn’t there to stop it, that I let you leave. But I promise I’m here now, and I won’t let anyone hurt you now…”

Theos face takes on a pained expression as he gruffly whispers “Nno… ’s not your fault. Just…”

Liam smiles at him and strokes Theos hair. He finds that he really wants to comfort Theo, to kiss his cheek, to wrap him in a hug and protect him from the evils that he’s had to endure, and he’s still not really sure where those feelings are coming from either, but he knows the best thing he can do for Theo right now is to get him to let Scott and Deaton examine him and clean him up. “You have to let them examine you, I’ll stay right here I swear” he whispers words directed only at Theo. Theos hand weakly moves in an attempt to squeeze Liams and he slightly moves his head in a nod once. Liam looks up at the other two behind Theo in the room and nods quickly at them. 

If they thought the pained noises coming from Theo earlier were bad, bad takes on a whole new meaning when they start cleaning up the blood and sperm left behind from his attack. His face is scrunched up and he keeps trying to move away from their touches, whining and uttering broken phrases of “No… please…” and “don’t let him…” and then one that sounds too much like “no Dad… stop…” before he goes back to letting out pained noises until they’re finished cleaning him up.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

After they’d patched Theo up and manoeuvred him into a spare set of Scotts clothes that was kept at the clinic for events when they’d need patched up and clean clothes, Deaton had suggested getting Theo somewhere safe, or somewhere he would feel safer waking up in, than surrounded by a pack that no-one really knew where he stood with. Liam said he would take him home, assuring Scott that they would have the conversation later that Scott had said the needed to have. 

This is why Liam is currently sitting propped against the headboard in Theos bed, with the chimera lying asleep beside him. He’s lost in thought, thinking about the scene that he and Corey had walked in on, Theo was hanging there tied by his hands, gasping for breath and fighting the drugs in his system to stay conscious as he hunter was about to unfasten his belt… He wanted to kill him. He would have killed him if Corey hadn’t drawn his attention back to Theo. He still might if he sees the man again… No-one hurts what’s his… His thoughts are interrupted by a small whine coming from Theo “Nnnuuu.” 

Liam puts his hand on Theos shoulder lightly saying “Theo?” and sees the chimeras face scrunch up at the contact. He leans down slightly “Theo you’re at home…” trying to reassure him as he lightly squeezes his shoulder. Theo jerks away from the contact, letting out a hiss of pain as the movement jars his torn back.

“Ss…sorry… Stop” Theo mutters through his dream.

Liam guesses he must be reliving whatever it is he had gone through before they had gotten to him. “You’re not there anymore, we got you” he tells him as he adjusts himself into a more comfortable position, trying again to touch Theos shoulder.

Theo lets out a small growl at the contact and whispers a broken “Dad…” he takes in a sharp breath and follows it by “You don’t have to stop.”

Liam wonders why Theo has mentioned his dad a few times now through his nightmares. He figures that somehow through his dreams he’s remembering his dad and asking him for help. That’s why he finds himself lying down as he gently moves so that he’s almost hugging Theo. He knows under normal circumstances Theo would probably punch him in the face, but these aren’t normal circumstances… and they crossed a line somewhere when Theo kissed him a few nights ago… “I got you…” They stay that way for a few hours, anytime Theo becomes restless in his sleep, Liam offers him comfort through words and gentle touches and takes some of his pain until he calms down again. 

Liam is just about to nod off when he hears a sharp hiss of breath and feels Theo tense beside him. “Theo?” he asks.

“L… Liam. What?” Theo tries to question as he opens his eyes only to squeeze them closed again as the sunlight coming in through the window assaults his eyes and sends spikes of pain through his head.

“The light?” Liam asks and Theo slightly nods. Liam gets up from the bed and closes the blinds, plunging the room into relative darkness with a little bit of light shining through the slats. “That better? he asks as he gets back on the bed, staying a little bit away from Theo, ensuring to give him his space. 

Theo wonders how long he’s been lying in this position, he tries to move so that can sit up a little against the headboard. He gets as far as rolling over slightly onto his back before he stops. He can’t move but something in his body hurts and something else pulls at cuts he’s not sure how he got. Liam realises what he’s trying to do and moves to help him, Theo finds that he doesn’t want to be touched and he doesn’t remember why, but he finds himself flinching anyway. Liam holds his hands out in an ‘I won’t hurt you’ gesture, and Theo nods lightly. Once he’s allowed himself to eventually be helped into a sitting position with Liams aid, and the werewolf has propped almost every pillow he owns behind him he asks “How did I get back here?” after a few minutes.

Liam takes a breath and tells him “Jiang and Tierney, the two others you helped escape, the uh… the sheriff had found them not long after they escaped and arrested them for murder…”

“Murder?” Theo quietly asks.

“Yeah…” Liam confirms. He lets Theo process that before continuing “He called us about it a while later once he’d gotten them to the station and stuff and found out what they were. Once we talked to them and asked them where they’d been they told us that the hunters had captured them along with someone else. They escaped and he made them go out first to find Scott McCall… He’d tried to follow they said, but he got tased and yelled at them to save themselves.”

Theo sighs and tries to roll his eyes. He regrets that idea as soon as the room starts spinning. “Wonder who that was…” he sighs.

“Not the same guy who said he’s only with people as long as it helps him…” Liam trails off as he looks at Theo with a pointed expression.

“The rest of your story about why I’m not there anymore?” Theo asks, it’s not that he’s not greatful for the insight, but he’s too sore to have deep conversations right now.

Liam lets out a small laugh as he thinks to himself _‘typical Theo, avoiding any talk about himself’_ and continues his story. “They told us what you did for them and where to find you. The hunters had surrounded the station. It was a good few hours at least, we were trying to work out how to deal with that and find a way to get you. Somehow, I don’t really remember how… It was decided that since Corey can turn invisible that he would get me out the back way of the station and to find you…” He trails off again, unsure how to continue. He’s not sure how much Theo remembers, and he’s honestly not sure if it’d be better that he doesn’t… He decides to leave that part out, he’s always heard his step father saying its better to let memories return on their own. “…We got you out and took you to the clinic. Um… Scott and Deaton helped to clean you up and stitch up your back."

Theo is processing what Liam is telling him, his memories slowly returning, He remembers the two younger werewolves, their pack had been killed by the hunters they’d told him, but he hadn’t known they’d killed one in retaliation. He remembers breaking free and telling them to find Scott, that the alpha would help them. They were just leaving the base when he’d felt the sharp sting in his back that brought him down instantly. He remembers screaming at the other two to leave, save themselves. Everything after that gets a little fuzzy… he remembers screaming as his back felt like it was being skinned alive… feeling like he was floating as everything around him blurred… feeling like his insides were on fire and he was being burned from the inside out… the unfamiliar and unwanted hands caressing his chest from behind, on his hips, his denims falling to his feet. His heart feels like it’s beating out of his chest and he suddenly can’t breathe, and oh god… Scott… Scott knew, which meant the pack knew, which meant Liam knew. He wants to be sick.

Liam sees the moments each memory comes back to Theo as his expression becomes less and less confused, and he knows when that particular memory hits him from the way Theos face suddenly goes blank and his heart rate spikes. “Theo…” he calls quietly but in a sure voice, mimicking the way he’d heard Deaton speak to Theo earlier. “Breathe… copy my breaths…” and he breaths in deeply, holds it for ten seconds and releases it before doing the same again. Theo still isn’t looking at him but he’s making attempts to copy Liams breathing pattern. They do this for a minute, and once the chimera is looking at him and his breathing has calmed a little he tells him “What that bastard did? That was wrong, it was…” he looks down and sighs before back up and meeting Theos eyes “…I wanted to kill him. I… I almost did, if Corey hadn’t stopped me…” he breaks off and shakes his head.

Theo clears his throat before asking in a timid voice that Liam isn’t sure he likes “Do um… do they all know about it?”

Liam doesn’t miss a beat “No.” Theo gives him a look and Liam clarifies “Deaton and Scott cleaned you up and treated you, so they know. But that’s it… and me. No-one else needs to know unless you tell them… You wouldn’t let them touch you even though you were unconscious, so they called me in cause they know we’d been hanging out and stuff, they thought you’d be more comfortable with me there…”

“Yeah well they were wrong…” Theo interrupts in an all too familiar cold voice.

But the scents rolling off of him tell Liam a different story, they speak of hurt and worry and terror. “What happened to you was terrible, but I will help you. You don’t ever have to talk about it again if you don’t want to, but if you do then I’m here.”

“And Scott and Deaton too?” Theo questions him, with an expression on his face that Liam swore he never wanted to see again after that night on the bridge.

“They won’t mention it again. If you don’t bring it up then they won’t either… Deaton wants to check your wounds tomorrow to see how they’re healing or if your dressings will need changed, but he said he can come here if you want.” Liam tries to reassure him.

He feels like he’s missed the mark as Theos scent tinges with anger “Scott just had to be there. Had to know… How could you let him…”

“I know you and Scott have your trust issues, but he’s a good alpha, and you can trust him with this.” Liam tells him, he has every faith that this is the case, and he’s starting to catch on to what Theo is doing.

Theo shrugs and winces “He’s not my alpha…” 

Liam replies without missing a beat “Theo. Stop trying to push me away… It wont work, I’m staying and I’m helping you till you start healing okay?”

“Do I get a choice?” Theo asks sharply as more anger fills his scent. Liam gives him a minute to calm down, and once Theo realises his outburst the scent disappears and leaves the earlier scents filling the room.

Liam confirms “You always get a choice…” and stops when Theo tenses at his choice of words. He amends “…okay poor word choice. You should always have a choice. And I’m so sorry that you didn’t back there… that he touched you like that. But I want to help you, you’re not fit to be left yourself and I’d like to help you till you’re healed.”

_‘If only you knew…’_ Theo thinks to himself as his memories of his earlier attack linger and mix with memories of his dad. He instead asks Liam “Wait… why haven’t I healed yet?”

Cursing himself because he knew he’d forgotten something he had to tell Theo, Liam explains “They dosed you with a few things while they had you, some kind of strains of wolfsbane mixed with sedatives and other stuff to work on chimeras, so Deaton thinks… and also he found something else they’d dosed you with….” He stops and takes a breath, feeling like at this point it’s just adding insult to injury to tell him this part, and Theo gives him a ‘carry on…’ look. He carries on “…I’m not sure exactly what it was, Deaton explained it, but basically it slows down the healing rates, so in us and you it slows your healing rate to that of a normal human.”

“Oh…” is all that Theo can say as he wraps his head around that news. He realises thats why Liam was saying he’d wanted to help him until he healed. And if how he’s feeling now is anything to go by, he’s definitely going to need it. “How long…?” he asks.

“Deaton wasn’t sure if it’s permanent or if it’ll burn out of your system of if its just until these wounds heal. He also wants to take more bloods form you to keep checking.” Liam tells him. It’s not the best answer but it’s the honest one. Theo looks down to his lap and nods. His stomach chooses that moment to rumble, and he absently wonders when the last time he ate was and just how long he’d been kept by the hunters. Liam practically jumps into motion as he stands up, asking “Do you want to try some soup or something? Maybe something light would be better?”

Theo finds that he actually wants Liams help, that it makes him feels safer now to have the werewolf by his side than not. He replies in a small voice “Yeah that’d be great.”

Liam walks around to Theos side of the bed and places a kiss on top of his head, he doesn’t shy away from the contact this time, instead a small smile crosses his face as Liam says “Coming right up…” and walks to the bedroom door.

“Hey Liam?” Liam turns and Theo simply adds “Thanks.”

Liam smiles in return, taking that one word for the larger meaning that he knows Theo meant. “No problem, get some rest while I find some soup or something to make…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few end notes:
> 
> \- So... it might not have been very comfort intense, but I don't really see these two as comforty, lovey types so this is kinda how I imagined it'd go down.
> 
> \- Next chapter will consist of more comfort, one reveal, and then the big reveal that will probably crush everyone and also Liam...
> 
> \- I probably have about 2/3 more chapters planned of this one, but I have some ideas that have sprung to mind and one from a reviewer (I'll credit you manonlemelon I promise) for some one shots/side stories that wont fit into this main one so if you'd be interested in those please let me know or if you want any requests/ideas then please hit me up with them :) 
> 
> \- If you're still reading and not bored of these notes by now, please let me know your thoughts :) - it's still completely unbeat'd by the way, so any errors are totally my own.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you once again for everyone who’s commented or gave a like or Kudos etc… I really appreciate it & you guys inspire me so much to keep writing this!!
> 
> So… firstly, the first parts of this chapter just sort of wrote itself once I started and I couldn’t help myself so it’s a longer chapter this time around, but I’ve covered a lot which I really couldn’t break up into other chapters…
> 
> ** WARNINGS **  
> \- descriptions of sexual assault  
> \- descriptions/depictions of child abuse (sexual and physical)  
> \- resulting trauma from this
> 
> Extra tissue warning for the angst…

When Theo next wakes up he barely has time to open his eyes when he hears Liams voice from beside him “How you feeling?” he’s asked with a hint of worry lacing the voice.

He props himself up a little on the bed and finds that he’s still resting against the small mountain of pillows that Liam had supplied when he first woke up. He turns his head to look at Liam and feels the wounds on the top of his back pulling from that small movement, he tries to make his voice work “S…” he swallows, trying to clear his throat and it feels like he’s swallowing razor blades.

Liam answers his unspoken question “Your throat was messed up pretty bad from screaming…” he pauses as he moves to the side of the bed,leaning back over he supplies Theo with a glass of water “…this should help.” Theo takes the glass and takes big gulps, he sputters and some of it falls onto his chest. Liam makes a doubtful face as he tells him “Yeah… I should have told you to drink it slowly. You’ve been asleep all night and had barely anything to eat in almost four days now, so take small sips.”

Theo complies and finds the water soothes his throat a little. He tries to speak again “Thanks.’ He winces at the sound of his voice, it sounds like he’s not slept in a week. “And I’m still sore… guess my healing isn’t kicking yet.”

Liam shifts on the bed so that he’s sitting with his back to the door, facing Theo with his legs crossed “Give it time to burn out of your system.”

“I don’t have time, I wanna find him and kill him” Theo blurts out, anger and sadness lacing through his voice and scent. 

“They’ll pay, don’t worry.” Liam tells him. The look on his face tells him Liam isn’t lying. Then he adds “He’s already paying by being in hospital with multiple injuries so I heard…” and Liam looks quite proud of himself for that part. He grin fades and he says “There’s something else at play though… something that’s making people afraid and join the hunter cause. You should see school lately.” He tells Theo, almost lost in thought as he thinks back to the way Haydens sister suddenly became worried about living in Beacon Hills, the way Corey was stabbed in the hand by Nolan… how everyone just seems a lot more edge.

“So they captured us because they’re afraid? He did that to me because he was afraid? Break the fear and forget it all? Figures…” Theo trails off. It’s still too fresh, and the memories of his dad that were brought back to him are still too raw to talk about the topic yet.

“I’m not saying that… I’m saying, well, we’re all saying, there’s something suddenly made them all more afraid of the idea of us, and made them join up with the hunters.” Liam replies.

“Yeah well that makes sense I guess… explains why more people have been on edge, and that would explain the rats and also the wolves…” Theo reasons. 

“It also means I’m gonna have to tell my parents soon before they get effected.” Liam doubtfully replies.

“You want to wait till I’m a little healed and I can come with you? Help explain?” Theo asks as Liams phone buzzes and he looks at the text as Theo asks “Your mom wondering where you are? You have to have been gone a while.”

Liam shakes his head before answering “No, I told her I was staying yours for a few days while your parents were out of town.” Theo can’t help the way his chest tightens at the mention of his parents, and he hopes Liam didn’t detect the skip in his heartbeat. Liam continues “It was Scott asking if you wanted Deaton to come here or if you wanted to go to the clinic? He still wants to check you over today.”

Theos tenses and looks to his lap, he can’t look at Liam when he knows he’s going to have to be examined down there. “Um… I’ll go there” he tells him. He doesn’t want any more bad memories in this house than what he already has. 

Liams hand appears gently on top of Theos which are clasped on his lap as he squeezes lightly and says “Hey…” when Theo doesn’t look at him he touches the chimeras chin and gently pushes it up until Theo is looking at him. “You have nothing to hide from. What he did wasn’t right, and I promise we’ll make him pay. If he recovers from his injuries…”

“I’m just… I’m not…” Theo breaks off as he closes his eyes against the tears that he can feel coming, he’s not even sure what he’s trying to express right now. Suddenly Liams lips find his and he pulls away, gasping in surprise as he does. Liam looks a little unsure of what he just did, and Theo remembers that feeling from a few days ago. He leans forward, ignoring the pull of his various cuts and bruises and returns the kiss. As Liams lips part for a deeper kiss, Theo starts kissing with more vigor, reaching down to Liams waistband. Liam backs away slightly from the kiss and gently moves Theos hand away in a way that Theo hates, it means Liam finds him weak. Theo nods, looking down again as he reasons “You don’t want me like that now…”

Liam quickly answers “What? No…” He pulls Theos chin up again to make Theo look at him again, hoping he can convey what he’s about to say in his expression as well as his words. “I do… it’s just I don’t wanna do something like this right now. Not when you’re still hurt, and not just after… I just think it’d be better to wait to make sure it’s what you really want.”

Theo cuts him off “I do… I just want to have a good memory of this…” as he leans forward again.

Liam grimaces before explaining “I know. I know you do, or you think you do… but I’d rather wait until you’re a hundred percent sure. I meant that I didn’t wanna do it right after what happened and end up hurting you more, or maybe like you said, you’re just trying to make a good memory of it, but what just happened to you might twist what we could do you know? I don’t want you to feel bad about it afterwards or in a week or something is all I’m saying. I do want to… I just want to make sure you’re definitely sure…”

Theo knows he wants to, he know he likes the way Liam touches him and knows how to help him, even if he might not have wanted it to begin with. He wants to have one time with Liam wipe away every time his dad, and most recently Schrader had touched him in a way he didn’t want and hadn’t asked for. But, he can’t argue with Liams logic so he agrees to wait a while “Okay…” but he knows he wont change his mind.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

 

They’re both sitting in the waiting room of the clinic after hours waiting for Deaton to come back. Scott had opened up for them and quickly left them in the waiting area as he went back into the treatment area to carry on cleaning up from the days opening hours. Theo sighs “He can’t stand to be near me.”

Liam turns to look at Theo and assures him “That’s not the case, he said he had to carry on cleaning up. Have you smelled this place? It stinks from all the animals”

Theo takes a sniff before shaking his head “My senses are dulled, I can smell it a little though. Can’t imagine what it’s like for you…” he trails off before adding in a sarcastic voice “…although you should be used to it, you’re a werewolf after all.”

Liam is taken by surprise at how easily Theo can find a way to slip in his usual sass, even when he’s just been through what he has. He takes a moment to gather himself before replying “You must have to put up with double the scent then since you’re a cross…”

Theo nods as a faint smile crosses his face “Funny…” he replies. He thinks back to their earlier conversation, and for everything Liam has done for him and suddenly he realizes what he’s known for a while now… He knows he’s been wanting to spend more time with Liam, wanted to kiss him and have something more with him, coming to depend more on Liam in spite of himself and everything he’s been taught in life about those he’s depended on. He knows he should tell him at some point. He decides to start with something smaller “Hey Liam?” He asks to get his attention. The beta looks up at him “Um… Thanks.”

Liam looks puzzled and asks “What for?”

Theo rolls his eyes, because trust Liam to not understand what he’s trying to say this one time when he’s never missed a beat before. “Thanks for everything.”

A worried looks crossed Liams face “Are you gonna be leaving?”

Theo laughs and replies “No asshole… I just… wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for me. It’s a lot more than…”

Liam cuts him off “Don’t say more than you deserve. Because you do. We didn’t know what we were sending you into when Kira used the sword. You might have done a lot but you didn’t deserve that.”

Theo shakes his head and looks a little taken back by Liams outburst “No. I wasn’t… I um… I was gonna say it’s a lot more than anyone’s done for me.”

“Oh.” Liam manages before Scott comes into the waiting area and Theo automatically looks to the floor again. If he heard their conversation he’s not showing any sign of it. 

“Deatons ready guys” he simply tells them.

Liam stands and walks a few steps before he realizes Theo isn’t beside him, and turns back to look at him. He’s still sitting looking at the ground. He walks back and asks “Theo, you coming?” Theo looks up at him and the behind him to Scott then back to Liam. He sighs and nods, pushing himself up off the seat, finding that he could do it under his own strength with a little bit of effort is a good sign considering Liam had to help him slip on his sweats, hoodie and converse only an hour ago. 

Deaton takes his bloods first, he explains “to let the tests run while I’m doing the rest of the exam.” Liam helps Theo take of his hoodie and Deaton examines the wounds on his back, particularly the deeper ones he’d had to stitch yesterday. Theo hisses in pain when he starts touching the wounds lightly and he explains “Well, they’re not as enflamed as they were yesterday, and they’re showing slight signs of healing… I would say at this rate you might be fully healed in about a week.”

“A week? I can’t wait that long.” Theo half asks and half explains his question.

Theo knows expression must give away his intentions as Scott, who’s standing next to the door to the waiting area, and giving Theo his space, tells him “He already might not make it. What he did was wrong, and trust me… he’s gonna pay. But you can’t cross that line.”

Theo looks to the alpha and asks “Why not?” 

Scott sighs and looks at him “Because from what I’ve heard you’ve changed, or you’re at least not the same person we sent to hell. You helped us with the Ghost Riders and we appreciated that. But Theo, you can’t cross that line and undo everything you’ve worked towards since you’ve been back.”

He knows its not the right thing to say, but he can’t help himself “Yeah… well you’re not my alpha so you don’t get to tell me what I can and can’t do.”

“I know you’ve been through a lot the last few days…” Scott breaks off as he walks over to stand in front of Theo before continuing “and I might not be your alpha, but thats a line I won’t let you cross when you’re not that person anymore … Can you trust me enough to believe me when I tell you he’ll pay one way or the other. I won’t let him not get away with what he did.”

The tension leaves Theos body as Deaton finishes his examination and he simply sighs and says “Yeah” before looking to the floor. Deaton walks round to stand in front of him. 

He had been checking the blood results while Scott had been talking to Theo and the man explains “Both the wolfsbane and the healing inhibitors aren’t as strong as they were yesterday, don’t get my wrong there’s still a lot showing in your system, you’re not gonna be better tomorrow.” At Theos questioning gaze he adds “It might burn out of your system more quickly, but right now I’m sticking to my guess of a week and you’ll be back to normal… we can do more tests in a few days time if you like” 

Theo knows which part of the exam is coming next as Scott back away to the door again and he looks up at the man and asks “Do you want me to lay down on the bed?”

Deaton regards him for a moment, looking him up and down, and Theo wonders if he saw the scars from before… if he knows one of his deepest secrets. He replies “No… as long as you’re not in any pain or it’s not irritated then I don’t think an exam will be beneficial right now.” Theo doesn’t think he’s ever felt this amount of relief in his life. 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

 

When they got back Liam had ordered him back upstairs for proper bed rest, despite Theos protests that bed rest didn’t actually mean staying in bed, the couch would have been perfectly fine. Liam had been insistent though, so despite himself again, Theo found himself back in bed with Liam essentially acting like a mother hen over him, between being almost too attentive to Theos needs and giving the room a much needed tidy up he was starting to give Theo a headache. “Hey Liam, would you give it break before you’re the one who needs bedrest?” he half asks half snaps. At Liams abashed look he explains “Just…come sit down for while, you’re making me angsty that I can’t get up and move around.”

Liam shrugs and mutters a “Sorry” and sits down on the bed beside Theo. “Better?” he asks.

Theo nods “Yeah. So… I wanted to tell you something earlier at the clinic…”

“You already did?” Liam questions and adds “You told me thanks, but you really don’t need to thank me… it’s not a problem.”

“Yeah I know I said that, and I did have to say it, but it there was something else…” Theo stops and Liam gives him a questioning face before he takes a deep breath and continues “You know how I said Scott’s not my alpha?”

“Yeah…?” Liam asks “Wait… is it Deucalion?” Liam thinks it makes sense that Theo would look to him as his alpha given that they’d worked together before, even if the guy had ultimately betrayed him in the end.

Theo rolls his eyes “No… it's not him. I said Scotts not my alpha because you are…” he resists the urge to roll his eyes at how Liam can understand him at any time except when he’s trying to be meaningful or talk about something concerning the other boy.

“Wait… what?” Liam asks him, taken aback by this revelation.

Theo explains “Liam… you stepped up when Scotts been dipping in and out of town, and yeah he might be the packs alpha… but you… you took on leadership of your smaller group within that pack and you took charge. With me… you um… you’ve done more for me than anyone has, and you never gave up on me when I came back. You didn’t let them put me back. You understand what I need and when I can’t think on what to say when someone asks me something about myself like my parents or something, you’re right there coming up with one and answering for me…” he trails off as the puzzled expression that’s been gradually forming on Liams face finally takes shape. “You really don’t see it do you?”

Liam sighs as he thinks over what Theo just told him… it does make sense the more that he thinks about it… “No… it’s just. I get what you’re saying but I’m not an alpha… I can’t be… not without…” he cant even bring himself to speak about doing that to Scott.

“I’m not saying that… I look more to you as my alpha than anyone else, honestly Liam, you might not have the red eyes of be an official alpha… but you’re the only one I’d want or trust. And I know Corey and Mason probably look more to you now for leadership than Scott now that he’ll be out of town…” Theo explains his reasoning further.

“Oh… yeah I guess that makes sense…” Liam breaks off, not even sure what else he could have replied as the more the thinks over Theos words the more they start to make sense. “I think I should still run the idea past Scott though, but yeah like you said he’s left me in charge when he’s off a college so I think it does make sense what you’re saying.” Theo opens his mouth and Liam stops him by saying “I’ll tell him it wasn’t your idea, that you’re not proposing breaking up the existing pack, just that we can sort of be a pack within the bigger pack…”

“See… thats what I mean, I didn’t even have to tell you what I was thinking and you got it…” Theo says. Then he decides to broach another topic which he’s been thinking about since earlier. “I thought about what you said earlier by the way… and I’m sure…” he leans over to kiss Liam, hoping to convey what he can’t put into words.

Liam leans back a little and searches Theos face before he asks with a raised eyebrow “Are you really sure?” he asks, not wanting to push Theo into anything he’s not ready for.

Theo doesn’t answer, he simply nods and leans froward again, biting Liams lip and moving into a kiss. He lifts his hands to work the buttons on the flannel shirt that’s standing in his way of Liams skin, but he ends up ripping them off in his haste. Liam moves so that he’s straddling Theos lap, pushing into the kiss to push him back onto the pillows when he hears it _‘lie still son…’_ He pushes the voice to the back of his mind and concentrates on Liams scent, reminding himself that he’s with someone he actually wants to touch him. He pushes back against Liam, who pushes him back down with a hand on his chest _‘you know this feels good’_ and breaking the kiss as he sits back slightly and moves his hand to Theos waistband _‘I promise you’ll like it… it’ll be our little secret.’_ He’s suddenly that four year old boy lying with his dad on top of him and Theo can’t take anymore, “No! Please stop it… I can’t…” he cries out he pushes at the weight on top of him and wrestles his way out of the grip.

“Theo?” Liam questions as he moves over to the other side of the bed. This brings Theo back to the present as he takes in the shocked expression on Liams face, the hurt laces through Liams voice as he says “I… God I’m sorry Theo, I knew you weren’t ready…” feels like a punch to his soul, because he wanted it, he knew he did… 

“Liam I… it’s not. I wanted it, I swear I did…” and he knows he really did want it, but he also knows what stopped him.

“Then what…?” Liam asks doubtfully. Theo just looks at him and shakes his head, feels the sting in his eyes that means the tears will be there soon… he can’t even find the words to explain what stopped him. Liam adds “Because if you weren’t ready of felt like we were rushing it okay, I get it…”

Theo looks down at his lap, he knows that he has to explain it to Liam, he can’t have him feeling like it was his fault or something he’d done, not when Theo knows that it’s him who’s damaged goods… “It’s not that… it’s…” he breaks off with a sigh, the words dying in his throat before he can form them. He makes a decision and looks up at Liam, he takes a deep breath and releases it “I can’t tell you… but I can show you.”

“What?” Liam shakes his head “How can you show me but you can’t tell me?”

“Just trust me…” Theo tells him as he points to his neck.

“Only alphas can do that?” Liam questions, he’s never even seen it done, he’s only heard of it, and he was sure Scott had said it was a risky thing to do.

“What did I tell you earlier?” Theo asks him, adding in “I trust you, you won’t hurt me… and I need you to know more than ever…” He shuffles forward on the bed, so that Liam has enough room to move to sit slightly behind him. 

Liam lifts his hand, extending his claws as he does, to hold them at the back of Theos neck, the chimera reaches around and moves Liams hand until it’s in the proper position. “You ready?” Liam asks. Theo nods and takes a deep breath, Liam does the same and plunges his claws into Theos neck and they both delve into Theos memory.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

 

_Liam is standing in the corner of a childs bedroom watching who he guesses is a younger Theo fast asleep in his bed. The bedroom door opens slowly and a man staggers in and quietly closes it. He looks over to the small sleeping form on the bed, smiling as he does. He takes care to quietly walk over to the bed he then sits on the edge of the bed. The boy is wakened by the dip on the bed and he sleepily asks “Dad?”_

_“Hey son… just lie back down… it’s okay…” the man now identified as Theos dad lovingly tells his son. The boy takes a shaky breath and complies with the suggestion, lying flat on the small bed, clasping his hands over his stomach. The man lies down beside his son and puts his hand over his sons covered chest rubs it once in the way a parent would comfort their upset child from a nightmare, he quickly slips his other hand under the covers as kisses the boys cheek whispering “Our little secret…” The younger version of Theo takes in a deep breath anda single tear slips down his face…_

_Liam feels a pit opening in his stomach…_

\- - - -

_The scene shifts and the Raeken family are sitting around a dining room table, to anyone looking at them from afar they would look like the perfect family, well dressed, sitting with their heads bowed saying grace before dinner. But that image quickly fades for Liam when he witnesses the rest of the family lift their heads except for the young boy, he’s a little older than in the first memory. The mom starts serving the food from the middle of the table to each of the plates except the one in front of the boy. “What about Theo?” the little girl questions as she looks from the boy to her parents._

_The mom sighs and drops her cutlery as the man Liam now recognizes as Theos dad looks at his daughter “Tara honey you know Theo hasn’t been behaving, and that kind of behavior is unacceptable. He has to be punished so that he learns his lesson.” He looks at Theo and his face changes as he looks at the boy, as does his tone of voice when he addresses him “Theo. Hands on the table.”Theo does as he’s told, placing his hands on the table, Liam notices the marks on the boys knuckles and figures he must have fought back once… It’s not until the dad produces a ruler that it clicks into place. The man hits the boys knuckles with the ruler five times on each hand and tells the trembling boy “Now… apologize for your behavior on Sunday” and points to a framed photo on the wall._

_Liam looks to where the man is pointing and sees a photo of the last supper and he hears the boys tear stained voice “S… so… sorry f-for my behavior in church. Please forgive me.”_

_“Who is to forgive you?” the dads voice almost vibrates through the room._

_“F-forgive me Jesus” the young boy asks._

_Liam vaguely recalls Theo telling the sheriff he was an atheist…_

_\- - - -_

_The scene shifts again and a younger Theo is tied to a bed “Dad please… I’m sorry… I didn’t tell him anything I swear” he tells his dad._

_“You ran away Theo… why would you do that? And I know you almost told the sheriff about our little secrets” the man tells his son, he looks furious._

_“I… I don’t know…” the boy stops speaking as his dad looms over him._

_“Your mom and Tara ran away because of your behavior…”the man grips his sons foot and the boy cries out in pain. “It stops now do you hear me?” Theo nods at his dad, biting back the pain. “I didn’t hear you?”_

_“Yes I hear you…” the boy sobs._

_His dad leans closer to his sons ear “I mean really… men with robotic masks telling you that you can be powerful. Your fantasies won’t save you son… those comics you lose yourself in are going in the bin, and you’re gonna start studying the bible again.”_

_“Sorry…” Theo starts crying._

_“You’re a failure… you always have been and I’m pretty sure this is the only way to save you from completely becoming a failure.” He stands up, still looking at his son on the bed._

_Theo only nods in response to his dads words._

_“Good… now I know you won’t be running away for a while I’ll leave you to think about it…” the man says as he leaves the room, turning out the light and plunging the room into darkness as he closes the door._

_Liam hears the familiar static sound that signals the Dread Doctors arrival before the scene changes again._

\- - - - 

_Liam sees a younger Theo and Tara sitting in a hotel bedroom listening to their parents arguing. Their fathers voice booms through the door “I mean where do you think all of this stuff and all these family holidays come from Annie? Huh? Tell you what, I’ll stop working as hard so you can see more of me, but say goodbye to the fancy clothes and cars and holidays…”_

_“Jonathan thats not what I meant…” their moms voice shouts._

_Tara grabs Theos and hand the boy wraps her in a hug as she whispers “Theo I’m scared…”_

_“It’s okay Tara they’ll stop soon, lets do a puzzle” Theo suggests._

_They just sit down to the jigsaw when they hear something smash from the other room. Tara is on her feet and walking toward the other room and opening the door before Theo can grab her._

_Their mom soothes both children as she wipes the red stain from her cheek, assuring them that everything is fine, Tara is crying in her moms arms and Theo hangs back near the door to the room they just left taking in the scene with what looks like well practiced surveying on someone so young. “It’s ok Tara…” she tells her daughter before asking her son “You ok sweetie?” Theo nods but can’t hide the tears in his eyes. Their dad stands on the other side of the room with a shocked blank expression on his face. Their mom stands and ushers both children back into the bedroom “How about the three of us have a sleepover huh?” she asks them._

_“Theo can come in with me tonight, let you girls have a sleepover” their dad tells her._

_She stops at the bedroom door where both children are inside waiting for her, and Liam can see Theos pulse beating too fast in the boys throat. She tells her husband “No, its fine… I can have a little sleepover with my two kids… you get some sleep and we’ll see you in the morning” and closes the door.When they hear the mans footsteps fade away to the other bedroom she locks the room door and walks to the bed… the two children fall asleep in the safety of their mothers arms while she cries silent tears until she falls asleep herself._

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

 

They both gasp as Liams claws retract from Theos neck. Theo turns to look at Liam, tears pooling in his eyes as he quietly speaks “Now you know…”

Liam can’t find the words, he can’t quite believe what he saw, what Theo had shown him… but in a way he realizes that it explains so much about the person that Theo is… he never even had a chance, he’d been failed from the very beginning and the Dread Doctors preyed on his situation and exploited it for their own gain. No wonder Theo had found it so easy to kill his sister. They’d promised him power and he’d saw it as a way out. He’s interrupted from his spiraling thoughts by a strained “I’m sorry… I… I shouldn’t have…” as Theo moves to stand up from the bed.

He reaches out and grabs Theos hand, stopping him from moving away. He waits until Theo meets his eyes before he tells him “Theo… you… you have nothing, and I mean nothing, to be sorry for.” 

“But I…” Theo breaks off. He knew it was a risk letting Liam know this part of him, the part that no-one except the Dread Doctors had known.

“But nothing… Theo, I’m sorry you had to live through that, and as wrong as it might sound… I’m glad you decided to let me know, I get why you freaked out now earlier now. We don’t have to do anything until your ready.” Liam tells him.

Theo believes him, and he already knows the answer to what he’s about to ask but he still has to hear it out loud. “No-one else knows about it… you won’t…?” he leaves the question lingering in the air.

Liam emphatically shakes his head “No. Never.” he squeezes Theos hand a little tighter “It’s your story to decide to tell, or not to tell… not anyone else’s.”

Theo nods and quietly utters a “Thanks” through the growing lump in his throat. The next thing he knows he’s being pulled into a hug, he smells the calm and safe scents that Liam is projecting at him to emphasize his points he made earlier. Theo lets the tears that he’s kept in for so long fall. He lets himself be pulled back on the bed in Liams arms until they’re both propped against the head board. 

Liam sits with Theo in his arms, rubbing circles on his arm with his finger, until eventually he feels Theo stop sobbing and dirt off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Liam found out... I hope it was worth the wait...
> 
> I stopped it short here because I felt the chapter was long enough, I will definitely be re-visiting their conversation at the end in the next chapter though and expanding on it!
> 
> Hopefully you all liked this chapter too, and as always, please do let me know your thoughts/questions etc... I really love hearing from you guys!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you so much to everyone who comments/kudos/reblogs/likes… I know I keep saying this, but it’s really an awesome thing to do so you deserve to be told every single time that it’s appreciated…
> 
> Okay, so we’re in the finishing stretch here, I know I said that a few chapters ago that I’d be ending this soon, I’m thinking definitely one, mmaaayybbee two, more chapters after this one to go now… I definitely have some one-shot side fics planned for after this, because there’s a few things people have asked about that I’ve not covered which I think would be interesting. So if you have any ideas or anything you’d want to see explored from this fic or this version of Thiam please let me know :)
> 
> WARNINGS: - very brief mention of child abuse at the beginning of this chapter

Theo wakes up from a nightmare hearing Taras voice fading away _‘Ttthhheeeoooo’_ and being replaced with Liam calling his name from downstairs “Theo!” He startles and sits upright too quickly for his still healing ribs and back. After the dizziness subsides he looks at the clock and sees that it’s sitting at 13.00 - he then registers the smells of bacon, sausage, eggs and toast making their way upstairs and though the open bedroom door. Theo wonders where they came from and why he’s smelling them at this time of the day, because he’s sure he only had a few things in his fridge the last he’d checked. He tenses himself as he stands and gingerly walks out of the bedroom, taking care when his healing feet come into contact with the hard wood flooring in the hallway and down the stairs as he follows the smell into the kitchen area. He finds Liam serving up two plates of the food and once Liam looks in his direction he doesn’t have time to question it as he’s told “Go sit down and I’ll bring these through.”

Theo follows Liams order almost without even realizing it, as he enters the dining area he sees two places already set, complete with cutlery and two glasses or orange juice at each one, and Theo finds himself wondering _‘what the hell Liam?’_ as he sits down. Liam quickly follows him in and puts the food down in front of him and sits down across from him, putting his own plate down. He’s not sure how to start the conversation after what he’d shown Liam, so he decides to start with a suitably snarky “Pretty sure I didn’t have any of this stuff in last time I looked… and why are we eating breakfast foos at one in the afternoon?” because he’s never really been at his best when he’s just woken up and he’s still sore.

Liam looks a little apologetic as he looks up and grimaces before he answers “Yeah… your breakfast selection sucked, so I went out and got some decent food.” Theo only nods and Liam adds “Was that ok? I just thought…”

Theo stops him by shrugging and saying “No, it’s fine. But you really don’t need to take care of me after… after last night. I’ve lived with it this long…” because this is what he didn’t want… for people to feel like they needed to give him things and coddle him to make him feel better.

“That’s not… I didn’t do it because of that…” Liam trails off at Theos skeptical gaze before continuing “I swear it wasn’t. Look… what you showed me doesn’t change what I think or feel about you. All your food was out of date and you really didn’t have any breakfast stuff… I’m sorry if I overstepped a mark.”

It’s Theos turn to look chastised now as he realizes that Liams heart rate remained steady the entire time. “I’m sorry… I just… I’ve never told anyone about it because I never wanted people to see me as a victim that they have to protect or do stuff for… I’ve survived for this long, you know?” he explains.

“Pfft, Like you’d even let anyone do that…” Liam jokingly tells him. He’s glad that it was taken the right way when it earns a small chuckle from Theo.

“Look…” Theo takes a deep breath “…about what I showed you…” he decides to broach the topic because he really doesn’t think there will be a time when he wants to really speak about it.

“You don’t need to talk about it if you don’t want to” Liam tells him, because it’s Theos story, it’s Theo who’s had to carry this with him through everything else he’s lived through, and he shouldn’t feel like he has to explain it.

“No,… I want to…” Theo puts his cutlery down, suddenly feeling too full already although he’s not eaten half of what’s on his plate. He continues “… I showed you because I trust you and because I wanted you to know. I owe you an explanation.”

“Theo you don’t need to explain it, I saw what happened” Liam tells him.

Theo rolls his eyes and asks “Would you just shut up and let me tell you?” Liam nods and motions for him to continue. He takes a deep breath and a distant look crosses his face as he fills in the questions that he thinks Liam might have from what he showed him. “It… he started when I was about four. He… it wasn’t always like that, I have good memories of him from before… like playing catch, teaching me to ride a bike, taking me and Tara walks in the park, stuff like that. Even when he started doing that stuff I remember some good times… he started a new job not long before I turned four I think, and then him and mom started arguing… a lot… and never really stopped, and then one night he came into my room. I um… I still remember the stink of alcohol on his breath and feeling paralyzed…” he closes his eyes as he adds “…I just lay there and…” he trails off as he wipes the tear that started falling from his right eye.

“Whatever he was going through doesn’t excuse what he did…” Liams voice sounds a lot closer and a lot more determined, Theo startles when he opens his eyes and sees Liam crouched down beside his seat and looking up into his eyes. He takes Theos hand in his, holds eye contact with a sincere look and tone, and tells him “You don’t have to tell me now… or ever. It’s not that I don’t wanna hear about it, because I do. I just don’t want you to bring everything up right now if you’re not ready to. When you are I’ll be ready to listen.”

Theo nods and quietly murmurs “Thanks” before deciding to change the topic. He gestures to the cooling food with his free hand “Do you wanna finish this?” he asks. Liam nods and squeezes his hand before he returns to his seat and the finish their breakfast in silence. Once they’re finished eating Theo says “Thanks by the way… for the food, and for cooking it.”

Liam laughs and tells him “You might not thank me if you end up with food poisoning.” He moves to stand up before he falls back into his seat “I need to go tell my parents today, Scott said things are only getting worse…”

Theo asks “Do you still want me to come along?”

Liam gives him a doubtful look before asking “Are you sure you’re fit enough?” 

Theo looks like he’s about ready to jump over the table at the question of his fitness and tells him “If I managed to go to the clinic yesterday then I’m sure I can manage going to see your mom…”

Liam grimaces again and answers “Its just that she might get um… intense…” he trails off because he knows his mom will either completely flip out or will just accept it, both options though, he knows, will end in literally a thousand questions…

Theo smirks as he asks “Isn’t that Masons word?” He takes a breath and adds “I’ll be fine Liam, besides…” he points to himself as he mimics Jennas tone “…she likes this one…” He drops the tone and becomes more serious at Liams worried look “I want to be there to help you tell them, and it’ll probably go better if someone else is there to field any questions or step in if things get tense.”

Liam nods and sighs “Only if you’re sure…”

“I am…” Theo tells him before he stands up “I’ll just go get dressed.”

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

They’re sitting outside the Geyer home in Theos truck, Theo talking Liam through calming himself down before they go in, because “walking in angry won’t help the conversation go any better…” 

Once Liam has calmed himself enough they get out of the truck and start walking up the path to the door where they are intercepted by Jenna who opens the door before they get to it, commenting “Finally, I thought I was gonna have to come out and see you two out there…” she stops as she looks behind Liam to see Theo, and he knows she’s taking in his bruises and the way he’s standing “Theo! What the hell happened? Get in here and let me look at those!” she orders in the way any loving and concerned parent would, it’s not a tone he’s used to hearing.

They both walk in and stop in the hallway. He tries to smile “I’m ok honestly, I got it um…” he falters, knowing he cant tell her that he got his wounds treated at Deatons “…I got checked over and I’m fine.”

Jenna looks from Theo to Liam and takes in his tense posture and Theo knows she’s putting two and two together and jumping to a thousand “Liam tell me you didn’t…”

Liam stammers “What? You Think I…? No!”

Liam looks like a deer caught in headlights, and Theo picks up on the hurt scent that rockets from him. He explains “No he didn’t, I got in a fight and this is what happened. Liam actually beat the other guy up since I kind of couldn’t move… you should see the other guy.” Theo smiles, because although he’s not seen Schrader and has no will to, he’s heard of the condition the man is in and he’s honestly proud of Liam and still taken a little aback that someone would want to defend him in this way.

Jennas face breaks into a huge grin at Theos last words and she lightly punches Liam lightly on the shoulder before pulling him into a hug while exclaiming “That’s my boy!” before she pulls him into a hug. Theo finds himself in a spin, just like every time he comes to the Geyer household and meets Jenna, because most moms would be all up in their sons business, and most moms would definitely rip their son a new one for beating up someone else, and here this woman is practically congratulating her son for beating up someone else to defend him…

Liam wriggles his way out of the hug and looks serious as he tells his mom “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about, can we um…” he gestures towards the sitting room “… sit down in there?”

Jennas face morphs from proud mom to concerned parent instantly as she says “Oh… yeah, sure thing” she walks into the sitting room and the two boys follow her, she sits on one of the single chairs and they sit on the couch. She looks between them, reading their serious but wary expressions “You didn’t kill the guy did you?” she asks.

Liam begins to say with anger building “What? No… why do you always assume…” 

Liams rant is cut off before it can begin by Theo cutting him off “No he didn’t, they guy is in the hospital. Liam calm down you know it won’t help…”

Liam takes a deep breath as Jenna nods and throws an apologetic glance at him. He starts to explain “I wanted to tell you something about me…” he trails off and adds in more quietly “…and Theo…”

Jennas face switches from concern so too quickly for Theo to pick up on as she holds her hands up to her cheeks and exclaims “You’re a couple? That’s it isn’t it?” both boys groan as she carries on rambling, while Liams calls her to get her to stop. Theo thinks she doesn’t even know that she’s still speaking “You didn’t need to be so worried, I saw it coming… and lets be honest you and Hayden were never really a good match…”

“Mom!” Liam shouts and Jenna stops speaking. He looks to Theo because they hadn’t even really discussed what they were, or if they were even anything.

Theo takes the cue from Liam and explains to her “We’re uh… we’re not a couple, we’re not even sure what we are right now or if we’ll be anything. But Liam has helped me out a lot and I think we’re both just finding an understanding and finding our way right now…” He trails off and looks back to Liam who nods slightly and smiles.

Liam explains “Yeah, but thats not what I wanted to tell you… you know all the weird stuff that’s been going on around town? All the talk about supernatural things like werewolves and hunters and stuff?”

He can’t even finish what he’s saying before Jenna cuts him off “Oh please… you know I don’t listen to that crap. I mean, don’t get me wrong, Beacon Hills is a lovely small town, but the gossips… ugh…” she throws her hands up to indicate her distaste for them.

Liam cuts her off before she can really start on her distaste for small town gossips “Yeah… well, um… it's actually true.”

“Wait… what?” She asks as confusion clouds her face.

Liam looks at Theo for help, but Theo nods at him and inclines his head slightly towards Jenna. Liams takes the small encouragement “It’s true. That’s what happened to Theo, they caught him… and I…”

She cuts him off by faltering and asking “…a-and… are you…?” while slowly looking between the two boys.

Theo nods and Liam follows it with one of his own before he answers her “Yeah. I am… it’s a… it’s a long story but yeah. I’m a werewolf, we have a sort of pack… Scotts the alpha but he’s leaving town for college I think, so he’s left me in charge of things here when he goes.”

“Oh…” Jenna trails off and Theo starts to worry because he recognizes that tone from her his dad was unhappy with something he’d said. Jenna surprises him again though, when she simply says “So thats why you suddenly made a whole bunch of friends after moving to the new school? That’s why some of them were older than you?” Liam only nods, letting the information sink in. “And are they all…?” as she looks into the fireplace with a distant look in her eyes.

Liam nods again at the unspoken question before adding “They’re not all werewolves, but yeah they’re all supernatural in some way or another… except Stiles and Mason.”

“How long?” Jenna asks him.

“About two and a half years…” he tells her as he looks down at his feet.

“Two and a half…?” She shrugs and mutters “That explains why you suddenly disappeared and started missing family dinners I guess…” she trails off and looks back to Liam. “Oh no… you don’t look away from me when you’re talking to me about something this serious.” Liam looks back up at her and she suddenly jumps and looks at Theo as though she’s only just remembered that he’s there. “And you are…?”

He answers “I’m part werewolf and part werecoyote.”

Jenna looks back to Liam as she sounds lost and repeats “Two and half…” her posture becomes more rigid as she tells her son “I’m not… this is a lot to take in Liam… I mean…”

“I’m sorry mom, you had to know with everything that’s going on now, especially if they came here. I understand if you want me to leave…” he trails off looking down and sounding close to tears.

Theo puts a hand on his back but quickly drops it as Jennas mom voice comes out “You look at me when we’re talking Liam John Dunbar…” she waits for him to look back up, Theo silently snickers at the use of Liams full name, before she continues “… I said it’s a lot to take in, I didn’t say I wanted you to leave. I have questions, and I mean a lot of them… But we can take our time with it and you can tell me all about it. From what I gather, you’ve been an honest to god werewolf for that long, and you felt like you couldn’t tell me? After everything else we’ve been through?”

“I wasn’t sure…” Liam starts to explain before Jenna cuts him off.

“I’d have understood, hell, I do understand… I think. I just wish you’d told me sooner and I wouldn’t have jumped to so many conclusions or threatened to ground you so often for skipping out on family stuff or the sneaking out at night…” she stops as she takes in Liams surprised face “…Yeah I heard you sneaking out of your window more often than you know. Never could figure out how you did it though, guess that’s explained now…” Liam opens his mouth to speak but Jenna carries on speaking “Thanks for telling me eventually I guess… your dads working a double. You do know I’m gonna have to tell him right?”

Liam nods and confirms “Yeah I figured… it’ll probably explain a lot of the strange happenings at the hospital too for him.”

“At the hospital? I… I don’t even wanna know…” Jenna starts before she looks at the clock and says “Okay… it’s almost five, and I was just about to cook dinner, do you guys want to stay and we can talk a little more over some food?” They both look to each other and nod almost in synch and she thinks to herself _‘working out what we are my ass…’_ as she stands up and tells them “Okay, you two sit tight or come help or whatever… dinner will be about a half hour…” then she amends “In fact… if either of you so chose to help it’ll be Liam, Theo…” she waits until she has his attention and she continues “… you stay there and relax, you look like you need a good rest.”

 

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Dinner was a slightly less tense affair as Jenna digested the information she’d been told previously, and asked a lot of extra questions. They filled her in on the latest events in the town with the hunters and what Deaton had discovered was the Anukite. She’d asked what exactly had happened to Theo with the hunters and they’d told her he’d been captured by the hunters and essentially tortured, Theo was sure if the air could change colors with a persons use of language this woman would have turned it blue pretty quickly at that point. They’s also explained that some of the other parents were in the loop too, Liam added “I’m sure if you want to talk to them about it they’d be happy to.”

Theo added “Not Lydias mom though. She knows about it but she doesn’t want anything to do with it apparently…”

Liam finishes the sentence “Yeah, she wants to keep the school a safe space or something.”

Jenna puts her elbows on the table and leans her chin on her hands as she ponders “So her daughter is a… a… banshee…?” She looks to both boys who nod confirming that she got the name correct before she continues “…and she thinks she can keep the school out of everything thats going on with the amount of kids who go there?” Liam nods again and Theo rolls his eyes at how absurd the idea really is. “Is she nuts? Wait, no, don’t answer that I already know the answer…” Jenna trails off before she looks at Theo and asks “So… why are you a half and half thing then if everyone else seems to be only one thing?”

Liam snorts at his moms phrasing on the question while Theo is a little taken by surprise at the question “It’s… uhh…” he’s not quite sure what to tell her, he can’t exactly tell her ‘ _I was turned into a chimera after I was persuaded by the dread doctors to kill my sister and really I’m the result of their experiments… by the way I also manipulated your son and killed his alpha…_ ’

Liam saves him from explaining by tell her “It’s a long story.”

She levels him with a meaningful gaze “I get the feeling there’s gonna be a lot of those?” Liam nods slowly and she replies “I guess now I know we have a lot of time for you two to get up to speed with all of this…” Theo startles at her words and she looks at him and says “You think you’re getting out of this? You came to help Liam tell me, I get that, but I’m gonna have a lot of questions and…” she points to Liam “…this one will probably sugar coat some of it. So thats where you come in.” Theo takes this in before she adds “Besides, I see more of you than I do any of Liams other friends, and I get the feeling we’ll be seeing lot more of each other…”

“Oh… yeah sure…” Theo agrees.

“So are you coming home tonight?” Jenna asks Liam.

He looks to Theo and then to his mom “Umm… I um… I’ve been helping Theo while he recovers so I’ll probably go back there, if thats ok?”

Jenna picks up what he said right away, and Theo cringes on the inside at Liams slip up as she asks “Oh yeah… I thought you’d said his parents were out of town?” looking between the two of them she asks again “Or was that another lie?” Liam looks to Theo who only shrugs, he doesn’t know what to say, it was Liam who dug this hole for himself. “Don’t bother looking at each other to find a way out of it. I know it was a lie…” it’s Theos turn to be leveled by the mom stare “…just like I know your parents haven’t been around for a while.” She looks back to her son and tells him “I knew you were lying, I just thought you were… you know…” she ends the sentence in a suggestive note.

“Wait… what? You knew?” Liam asks her incredulously. 

Theo asks “How did you…?” it’s still a sore topic for him, and he didn’t want any but Liam knowing, and he really can’t figure out how Jenna would know when Liam had sworn he hadn’t told anyone. Unless he had. He looks at Liam with his eyebrow raised in question and Liam shakes his head.

“He didn’t tell me if thats what you’re thinking…” Jenna tells him, drawing both of their attention back to her. “I guess it’s time for some honesty of my own.” She puts her hands on the table and moves them out in a soothing fashion, then drops them back to her lap and starts to explain. “So, that first night you came for dinner and I asked about your family and you went a little strange. Then you started spending more time at our house and hanging out with Liam more… I thought I’d go see your parents and check if they were alright with you being here so much and to introduce myself, maybe invite them for dinner… I mean I know how I get when Liam skips out on our weekly mandatory family dinner, so I just wanted to apologize if we were keeping you from them or whatever.”

“But I never…” 

Theo doesn’t get to finish his sentence as she continues explaining “Well I sort of followed you home from the store that day I saw bumped into you there…” Both Liam and Theos mouths gape at that.

Liam asks “You never said you saw him at the store?”

Jenna cuts him off “Well… I don’t expect you to tell me every little detail about your day, and you never asked so…” she shrugs before she looks back at Theo and explains “I came over a few times and there was no answer, and then everything just clicked into place.” She leans back in her chair and says more gently “It’s your business honey, it’s not for anyone else to know or interfere… I figured one of you would tell me eventually. How long have you been living on your own?”

Theo takes a deep breath and tries to blink away the tears that are threatening to form before they can, because he never expected this reaction form someone he’s lied to and in turn made her son lie to her too. Liam takes the lead for him “It’s been a good while mom…” his tone is quiet but it also carries a tone that tells her to drop the topic. 

She nods and says “You know we have a spare room right?” as she nods her head towards the ceiling.

“Oh…thanks… but I um…” Theo falters. He’s not sure what it is about Jenna Geyer that constantly throws him into a spin, because she never gives the reaction he expects to anything that happens. He wonders if this is what all moms are like, if it was just his family who had trained him to expect the worst of every situation. He looks at her and meets her eyes, he sees nothing but compassion and genuine interest there. “Thanks but I’m good for now…” he trails off.

She nods again and answers “No pressure, it’s there if you want it.” 

He nods and looks to Liam “I should go, you should stay here and talk some more with your mom.”

“But what about…?” Liam starts to ask but Theo cuts him off as he stands.

“I’ll be fine. Honestly, you can come over later or tomorrow if you want or I can come here” 

Jenna stands quickly, blocking Theos path as she says with concern and sadness filling her face “I’m sorry if I upset you, I really didn’t mean it that way."

He shakes his head “No… you didn’t.” She looks at him doubtfully and he confirms “Honestly you didn’t. I’m still not healed properly and my ribs are getting sore from sitting up for so long. I’m just gonna go home and sleep.”

She nods and pulls him into a hug, and for a moment Theo is frozen in place before he gently returns it and pulls out of it. She lets him pull away more easily than she did Liam earlier, and she says “We have a perfectly good guest room if you’re too sore… I don’t want you driving yourself in that condition, and you’re right, I still have a lot to talk to Liam about.” It’s Theos turn to look at her doubtfully and she rolls her eyes and tells him in a half serious half light tone “It’s only for one night… right? At least if you’re here we can help you if you’re too sore or anything?” He looks back at Liam who nods and back at Jenna who tells him more seriously “If you think I’m taking no for an answer after you’ve just told me you’re injuries are playing up then you really don’t know me.”

Liam walks over to stand beside Theo and tells him “Just agree now, it’ll be easier.”

Theos posture relaxes slightly as he agrees “Ok… only if you’re sure…” 

“I am” Jenna says as she steps aside, clearing the path between Theo and the stairs “The guest room is second on the right up the stairs, I already put some of Liams sweats in there earlier in case you wanted to stay.”

Theo smiles, he’s still getting used to giving these types of genuine smiles, but Jenna really deserves one, and says “Thanks.” Jenna points to the stairs and he doesn’t need to be told twice, his wounds feel like they might start tearing open if he stays upright for much longer so he heads up the stairs, wondering how he got so lucky to have these people just accept him, no questions asked, as he enters the guest bedroom. As he lies down on the bed after changing into the sweats that Jenna had laid out for him he drifts off to the sound of mother and son chatting lightly downstairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I originally had another part for this chapter planned, but after the emotional rollercoaster of the last few chapters, you all needed a happier chapter, hopefully this slightly filled that need!! It was originally supposed to be a shorter one too but the part at the Geyer house just kept writing itself, and I wanted to do the reveal some justice…
> 
> As usual… please let me know any thoughts good/bad/indifferent that you might have.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, apologies for the delay, the only reason I have is that I had a serious case of writers block, I knew where I wanted to go to end this story (this isn’t the last chapter), but I wasn’t really sure how I’d get there and what I had planned really didn’t feel right… there was still a few things I wanted to explore and include. Then I actually wrote an entire chapter, twice over, but they felt really off and I didn’t want to give you guys something that I didn’t feel right or comfortable with, if it doesn’t feel right to me then I won’t post it… I also started this one with a completely different plan & ideas but when I started to write it just started to flow, and we ended up with this, which I’m happy about… 
> 
> It’s a slightly shorter chapter this time, but I felt it was an important one with how it turned out, and it’s also something you guys had asked for, I’m not gonna spoil anything by giving a summary but I really hope you guys like it!!
> 
> Secondly - Thank you all SO SO much for all the comments & kudos & likes on here and Tumblr even though I've not updated this in a while, it means a lot that people are still invested in this story :)

Theo is lying on his couch with the tv on in the background, the wounds on his back slightly niggling as he’s lying on them, but he’s too lost in thought to take in anything that’s happening on the show. He’d somehow managed to skip out of breakfast at the Geyer household in favor of returning to his own house, something that Liam had told him was a small miracle that his mom had let him leave without food. This is the first time he’s really been alone in the last week or so and his mind won’t stop playing over what’s been happening… His capture and assault at the hands of the hunters and Schrader had been scary, and for a second before his rescue he’d thought he was being dealt a little bit more karma for his actions in the past…of course he’d never admit that to anyone else, with the exception of Liam who had seen him right after the event. He still doesn’t want any one else to know what happened to him. And Liam… he’d felt himself becoming more thankful and growing more attached to the beta after the stuff with the ghost hunters, thats partly why he’d kept him and the pack at a distance throughout the summer, the other half of the reason was that he didn’t want to get on their wrong side and risk getting sent back… Somehow though, Liam had broken through and found him when he was at his worst, he’s saved him from himself and his nightmares more than once now… especially when he’d pulled him from the ground. He’s not sure where they stand with each other, but they’re a hell of a lot closer than he’s felt with anyone before, and he’s not opposed to trying for something more than friendship… hell they’ve already kissed and almost had sex until he’d had flashbacks of much rougher hands touching him in ways he’d never wanted.

_‘Ttthheeeoooo…’_ he’s pulled out of his thoughts by Taras call for him. He quickly sits up and holds his ribs as the action pulls at them. _‘Theo’_ He gulps as he hears her again. He doesn’t hear or see her as much around Liam, or since he’s shared what happened to him in hell with the beta either. She blinks into the corner of the room, and he tries to block her out, but he still cant help the fear that feels like it might paralyze him from creeping in. Just as she takes a small step forward the doorbell rings and Theo startles at the sudden noise as she blinks away as though she was never really there. The doorbell rings again and Theo eases himself off the couch and goes to answer the door. He’s wondering who it could be since Liam seems to just lets himself in these days. To say he’s surprised when he opens the door and sees Scott standing in the door way is probably an understatement.

He opens his mouth to greet the alpha, but he doesn’t get to as Scott greets him first “Hey, ummm… can we talk?” he asks as he gestures into the house.

Theo grimaces as his heart jumps and he wonders what he’s done now that Scott of all people has turned up at his door. He steps aside and sighs as he replies “Sure” he knows its blunt, but he’d really rather just get whatever this is over with. Scott walks into the living room as Theo follows behind after closing the door, and stands looking a little awkward. “You wanna sit?” he asks the alpha as he points to a seat. He sits down after Scott does, consciously making sure he’s at a safe enough distance. _‘Ttthhheeooo’_ His heart speeds up a little as he hears Taras voice, he tries to focus on the sound of Scotts heartbeat and match it with his own.

“It’s not anything bad that I came here for…. I don’t think… well…” Scott starts to explain and trails off as he falters. Theo can’t suppress the little laugh he has in his mind as he thinks that this is the same old Scott, the one he’s always known…

Instead of letting that laugh out he instead rolls his eyes asks sharply “So why did you come then?” 

Scott straightens up at his tone, squares his shoulders and for a second Theo wonders if this is thing that will tip them over the edge and earn him a trip back to Tara. Scott answers “I came to thank you for all the help you gave us. You… I… I should have said it while ago but you just disappeared right after the fight with the ghost hunters and none of us could find you…” He trails off and Theo guesses he’s supposed to say something in response, but he can’t find the words, because Scott McCall coming to thank him was not something he ever expected. When he does say anything Scott continues “… I guess I should have tried harder to find you and thank you then. But I wanted to say it now.”

Theo nods in acceptance of the apology that Scotts given him but not spoken out loud “You’d have figured it out eventually” he tells hime, because he knows they would have.

Scott shrugs “Yeah… maybe. But when Liam brought you back from…” Scot trails off again and looks at Theo in a way that very few people have, as though he’s seeing the real Theo, not the one he presents to the world. Theo guesses he’s picked up the sudden spike in his heart rate, he doesn’t say anything about it though and continues “… I know I wasn’t happy about it…”

“…You had every right to after what I’d done.” Theo cuts in.

Scott grimaces and asks “Let me finish?” Theo nods and Scott continues “I know I wasn’t happy about that, but I saw it that night we trapped the ghost rider, you’d changed but I didn’t really believe it at the time. And honestly? Without your help and knowledge it’d have taken us a lot longer to figure it all out and rescue everyone. I guess I just needed to tell you that.”

Theo scoffs before he says “I guess being practically raised by the Dread Doctors came in handy for something then.”

Scott takes a breath before adding “I also wanted to ask you something else?” Theo freezes and nods for Scott to continue. He asks the question so quickly that it sounds like one long word “Would you like to join the pack?” He knows the looks on his face must say it all when Scott explains “We all know you’ve changed, and we could really use someone like you with your skills and knowledge.” Theo shakes his head and Scott adds “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

Theo chuckles slightly and tells Scott “Liam has already beat you to that question a few times.” At Scotts puzzled expression he explains “I told him I’d hang around and help him out while you guys are at college and I’m completing the rest of the school year…” he trails off as he figures that telling Scott that he views Liam more as his alpha might not go down too well. He instead says “…I didn’t think there’s really gonna be a bigger pack to join while you’re all off doing your separate things, so I said I’d help Liam and the mini pack that you leave here, since most of the older one still kinda hates me.”

“Theo they don’t…” Scott stops when Theo looks at him in way that says _‘really??’_ and continues “…Okay well most of us don’t. Stiles doesn’t trust anyone fully, and Malia… well…” he falters.

Theo saves him from trying to explain by telling him “There’s a lot of bad feeling where I’m concerned, and I get that. Most of it is on me, and I accept that. That’s why I thought it better that I just stay around and sort of join the mini pack that will still be here.” It’s not the only reason, but Scott doesn’t need to know everything about that.

Scott nods and replies “Yeah… uh, that’s actually a good idea. The others will come around.” Theo nods, but he doesn’t really care if they do or not, he can’t change the past. “You and Liam have been hanging out a lot?” Scott asks.

Theo freezes, then nods and answers “Yeah.”

Scott lets out a little laugh and leans forward in his seat as he tells Theo “You don’t have to freeze every time I ask you something. It’s not a test y’know? I came here to thank you for your help and to try and clear the air between us and to start fresh, especially after everything with the hunters. If I’m making you that on edge I can go… I don’t wanna…” 

Theo feels guilty, he may not look to Scott as his alpha, but if he came here to talk and clear the air between them, he knows its an opportunity he should take. He finds it hard to not believe that one wrong move won’t get him sent back to the ground. He’s surprised when he finds those words coming out of his mouth. “No, it’s fine… Thanks for coming over. I just… I didn’t really wanna be around any of you a lot either in case I did something that pissed you guys off and got me sent back…” he stops as his heart rate speeds up again and he sees the realization on Scotts face.

“Oh…” Scott utters, Theo sees him stop and gather himself before he tentatively asks “What… what actually happened?”

The angry part of Theo that’s always there under the surface, that one who wasn’t really taught how to deal with emotions and feelings, and the Theo before they sent him away would have bluntly told Scott everything that happened, ripped it off like a bandaid and used it as a weapon. This Theo finds that he doesn’t want anyone knowing what happened to him. He trusted Liam to tell him some of it, but that’s the only person he wants to know for now. He opens his mouth to answer Scott when right on cue Tara appears standing behind Scott _‘Theo’_ He lightly shakes his head and looks down as he says “I… I’m sorry… I can’t…” 

He risks looking up at Scott who looks shocked, Tara isn’t there anymore. Scott nods with a silent understanding expression on his face as he quietly tells Theo “I’m sorry. I had no idea what would happen… It’s… It’s okay if you don’t wanna talk about it but if you ever do want to then you know where I am.”

Theo accepts the offer with a small nod “Yeah, thanks.” He doesn’t think he’ll ever take Scott up on it though.

“In the spirit of clearing the air and sort of starting again, I had something else I wanted to talk about…” Scott takes a breath and Theo nods at him to continue, wondering what’s coming next. “…When Liam and Corey brought you into the clinic that night…” Theo feels his stomach flip and then drop out. He knows whats coming before Scott even says the words “…I uh, I saw the marks while I was helping clean up your back.”

“Oh…” is all that Theo can say. He can’t help that his heart rate picks up again, but now he’s finding it harder to breathe, he closes his eyes tightly to fight the memories from coming black.

“Hey…” he hears Scotts voice and he starts as a hand lightly touches his knee, his eyes open and he’s surprised to see Scott crouching down in front of him with concern written all over his face. “Just match my breathing.” Scott tells him, and he’s reminded of Liam doing a similar thing with him not so long ago. Theo does, breathes in and out along with Scott for a minute or so until he feels himself calm down, he leans back and nods to let Scott know he’s good now. Scott returns to his seat and then says “I’m sorry… I didn’t think it’d trigger that kind of reaction or I wouldn’t have mentioned it.”

“It’s okay…” Theo sheepishly replies.

Scott shakes his head “No, it’s not fine. You should never have had to…” he breaks off and Theo thinks that he doesn’t know the half of what he’s had to survive through, that he’ll bury this away with all of the other unwanted touches he’s had in his life. 

“It’s fine, honestly… I’ve survived worse.” Theo tells him, it’s not a lie, and he really wants this conversation to be over now. 

Scott gives him a look that says he doesn’t doubt what he’s saying is the truth. “I know you’re not really used to having a pack or anything, but we all help each other, and we’ll help you too if you’ll let us.” Scott tries to make him feel like he’s part of the bigger pack again.

“Liams already helping me through a lot of it to be honest” he decides to tell Scott.

He doesn’t want to elaborate, so he’s glad when Scott only replies “Good… I’m glad you have someone to talk to at least, and that he’s helping you to feel included on some level.”

“Yeah he is…” Theo trails off. He’s greatful for Scott making the effort to come and speak to him, but he’s still not a hundred percent sure they’ll ever be totally fine again, or that he’ll ever feel comfortable enough with the Alpha to share even some of what he’s told Liam about.

He guesses Scott feels the same way when he stands up, checks the time on his phone and says “Okay well I should go now, I promised my mom I’d try to do dinners every other night with her till I leave again.”

Theo walks him to the door saying “Thanks for coming over and talking, or trying to…” Scott laughs at the little joke. As Scott walks out of the door Theo plucks up the courage to ask “Hey, can I ask you something?”

Scott turns back, looking a little surprised, but smiling at him as he answers “Yeah sure.”

“Uh… what happened to Schrader?” Theo asks. He’s been wondering about it ever since Liam had told him that Scott had said if he survived Liams attack he’d be taken care of. He wishes he hadn’t asked as Scotts face takes on a darker more angry expression at the mention of the mans name.

The expression fades slowly as Scott simply says “He won’t be hurting anyone again.”

Theo isn’t satisfied with that answer, and he doesn’t want Liam to have killed someone for him, even if it was a piece of scum like that man. “Yeah…?” he leaves the question lingering.

Scott shrugs his shoulders and his face breaks into a smile as he answers “He’s somewhere that he won’t be hurting anyone. Somewhere he deserves to be…” he tails off and Theo wonders if he’s taking pleasure in dragging this out. He continues “I put him in Eichen House. They were all too happy to have him for everything he’d done while he worked there and for what he did afterwards.”

“Oh…” Theo again finds himself caught off guard. He never expected Scott to want to protect him like that, or to punish someone who’d hurt him either. “Thanks…” he trails off, not really sure what else to say.

“Like I said… he belongs there. He’ll pay” Scott confidently adds, and if Theo isn’t mistaken then he sees a little bit of an evil smirk on Scotts face as he speaks.

Theo feels a little bit of the tension leave his body when he sees it and drops his shoulders a little as he says little more genuinely and openly “Thanks for coming over man, I really appreciate it.”

Scott smiles the first open smile since he arrived at Theos doorstep and he replies “No problem dude… I really did wanna talk to you for a while so I’m glad we got the chance.” He turns and when he gets to his car he calls out “See ya soon?” Theo can only nod and Scott gets in and drives away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was another chapter where not a lot happened, but a lot kind of did at the same time (I feel like I seem have a lot of those haha!) but hopefully you guys liked it! I felt like it was an important thing that needed to happen at somepoint, and I had planned it to happen as a side story, but theres plenty more to explore if they talk again...
> 
> As always, I love to hear your thoughts, so please do let me know them! Similarly, if you have any thoughts or suggestions for something you'd like to see as a side story let me know and I'll try to get it done or work it in :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I just wanna say a HUGE thank you to everyone who has read/reviewed/liked this story and stuck with me on it. For my first time writing in about six years, plus my first Teen Wolf and Thiam fic, it really has meant the world to me and I can’t thank you all enough!! <3 I hope you all know how amazing you are! This will most likely be the last chapter of this part of the story… but I do have a few other ideas that I had for later chapters which I will make into side fics too… this just seemed like a good place to end this one without adding anything else afterwards.
> 
> Also, I’m not gonna do any chapter preview/summary this time, except to say that this is probably gonna be a shorter chapter because I wanted to get it posted, and I also feel that it deserves it’s own chapter since it’s equal parts happy and angsty… Also it’s something you’ve all been asking about for a while now…. so er… yeah… I’m going to hide now because I am incredibly nervous about this, but I hope you’ll all like the way I’ve gone with it… 
> 
> I will give one WARNING that mentions of Theos childhood come up here, and of course perhaps my now obligatory tissue warning?

Theo is lounging on the couch drifting in his own thoughts about Scotts visit earlier today and about Liam to the sound of the news in the background, he doesn’t even startle at the sound of the back door opening, there’s only person in this town that uses this entrance to his house, or more specifically there’s only one person in this town that is comfortable enough with him to just walk into his house anyway. He instead smiles and quietly utters “I have a front door for a reason you know….”

He hears Liam chuckle “Yeah… but why break the habit of a lifetime?” as he kicks the door closed behind him. Theo sits up, about to ask why his door is being kicked closed when Liam appears in the doorway, hands filled with bags, some of which smells like delicious cooked food. Liam laughs and gestures to the TV with his head “you watch the news?”

Theo cant resist the opportunity and shrugs as he replies “What I don’t look like the type to watch the news?” 

Liams face falls as he falters “Oh… n-no… I…”

Theo laughs “Oh your face… I was joking. But yeah I like to keep up to date with current events…” He trails off as he takes in the bags still in Liams hands “Don’t you wanna put those away?” he asks as he moves to stand up.

Liam seems to realize they’re still there “Oh, yeah.” Then he tells Theo “No, you stay there I’ll bring it in.”

Theo wonders what he’s talking about as he asks Liams retreating form “Bring what in?”

“My mom sent over some food for us to eat…” Liam calls from the kitchen and continues “…something about growing boys needing nutrients blah blah blah…” What he doesn’t tell Theo is the suggestive tone she used as he said it, nor will he ever tell him about the subtle wink wink she gave him either. 

Liam barely gets the food set down on the counter before he’s grabbed from behind and shoved against the counter as Theo nuzzles the back of his neck, taking in the scent he’s grown to associate with so many things he never thought were possible for him. He grabs Liams hip and spins him round, keeping his face near the betas neck as he does, lifting his head up to strongly kiss him. He moves his hands from Liams hips to his belt, working his fingers to unbuckle it as Liam pulls his head back and Theo follows, not breaking the kiss. Liam slowly moves Theos hands back to his hips as he pulls away from the kiss.

“We don’t need to do this…” Liam starts explaining as Theo tries to move in to kiss him again. He pulls back further as he fights the urge to give in to what Theo is trying to give him as he continues “Theo. We don’t need to, not if you’re still not ready. I… I don’t wanna rush you.”

Theos urge to roll his eyes at Liams words is quelled by the warmth that spreads through him at the betas concern for him, he’d been thinking about doing this before Liam had come over, but now he’s certain. He meets Liams eyes as he asks “But what if I’m sure I want to?” A smile breaks the concern off of Liams face, and before he knows it Liam has a fist full of his t-shirt and he’s being pulled into another strong kiss as Liam groans. He smiles into the kiss. 

In a blurred flurry they spin each other against the counter around the kitchen, each vying for dominance by pushing the other against the worktop, their kisses only broken by the removal of their tops as their hands explore each others bodies and backs… Theo marvels at how toned Liams body actually is since it’s usually buried under two layers of tops. It’s his turn to groan as Liam pulls his attention back by pulling him into a kiss. As they move through the sitting room their hurry becomes faster as their shoes, belts and jeans are discarded on the floor, leaving a trail behind them as the make their way to the stairs. They almost crash through the bedroom door and onto the bed…

As he feels Liam move to pull off his boxers, Theo feels him hesitate and he looks up to him, and although this is something that Theo knows he wants, he’s still surprised to find that he’s not apprehensive about taking this next step. He gives a firm nod to Liam, who smiles in return before moving the boxers down Theos hips and lowering his head so that Theo can only see the top of his head. He drops his head back against the mattress and closes his eyes, concentrating on the feelings that Liams mouth is producing, there’s a part of him that can’t believe that this can actually feel so good. He opens his eyes when he feels Liams mouth leave him, and looks up to see Liam sitting up and taking his boxers off. The beta lays down beside him, looking at him expectantly and Liams hands start stroking him and Theo feels the waves of pleasure, but they’re being pushed aside by the apprehension that Liam expects him to do that same to him. He pushes Liams hand off and sits up, as Liam joins him in sitting up and looks at him with a concerned expression he starts to explain “I… I haven’t since… I’m not sure that I…” 

Liams mouth finds his in a gentle kiss and as the he pulls back Theo feels his hand gently hold the side of his face. Liam gently tells him “It’s okay… we can stop if you want.”

He shakes his head, because no, he doesn’t want to stop… but he’s never touched anyone, or been touched by anyone down there since his dad, and there’s only so much he thinks he’ll be able to take this first time. “No… It’s not that. I… I just don’t think I can…” he takes a breath and places his hand over Liams, still resting on his cheek, because he knows it’s a lot to ask… and it’s going to take a lot for him to allow it, but he knows he wants it, and he knows he doesn’t want it to end like this “… Can you um… can you take charge? I just… it’s just that I haven’t… and I don’t know if I can…” As the concern deepens on Liams face he leans over for a kiss and looks Liam in the eye as he adds “I want this, I want you… now. I promise I’m fine.” He doesn’t have time to process the grin that spreads across Liams face as the beta practically leaps on top of his lap and pushes him onto the bed and an “ooff” escapes him at the force.

The next hour leaves them both happy but exhausted, both for different reasons. Liam because he finally got to show Theo how much he really wants him, and also that Theo trusted him to take charge in being his first time since his childhood, plus he’s exhausted from the exertion, not that he’s thinking it’s a bad thing… Theo because he knew that he was starting to fall for Liam, but this has just proven it. He’s surprised again that he never really thought about his dad during the last hour, throughout Liams gentle touches and caresses, and the rough play… which he found he liked better and he could focus better on the feelings and waves of pleasure through his body that he never had before. They both fall asleep holding each other.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

 

When Theo becomes slowly more aware he awakes to the feeling of being watched, he cracks open the one eye that isn’t smooshed into the pillow and sees Liam outlines by the light shining through the window, still facing him but looking at him intently with a small smile on his face. He briefly realizes that this is what it must mean when he’s heard people speak about _‘that look of love’_. He sleepily mutters “It’s rude to watch people sleep you know…”

Liam shrugs and says “But you’re not people…” they both chuckle and Liam adds “…besides, what if I kinda like what I was watching?”

Theo moves so that he’s lying on his side instead of his front and wraps his hand around the back of Liams neck, pulls him forward and kisses him lightly before pulling back and simply saying “Idiot.”

“How’d you sleep?” Liam asks him, and he catches the undertone of _‘any nightmares?’_

He lets out a contented sigh as he rubs Liams back “Perfectly.” Liam pulls him closer and nuzzles at the side of his neck, and Theo realizes what he’s doing, it’s an action he’s done almost subconsciously since Liam started helping him… he’s scenting him. He doesn’t understand and he can’t help but say “I still hate it you know…”

Liam pulls back and looks at him as he asks “Hate what?”

“My scent… it’s not normal. It’s horrible… too mixed up.” He answers honestly.

“It might be mixed, but you can’t help that.” Liam tells him before he adds as an afterthought “It’s unique to you… it’s what makes you just you. I love it.” 

Theo startles at the word at the same time Liam does, its not a word that’s been raised between them before and now it’s out there. Theo really should know better, but he can’t resist this. “So you love my scent but not me? Nice Dunbar… real nice…” He trails off as Liam lightly punches his chest. He looks down then looks back to meet Liams eyes “You know… if you did… it wouldn’t be the worst thing…”

“Oh?” Liam questions. 

Theo smiles and nods as he replies “I might even feel the same way… you never know.”

Liam chuckles and whispers “Well in that case…” trailing off as he moves towards Theo and pulls him in for a deep kiss, somehow it feels more meaningful than their last ones to them both.

As they move out of the kiss and sit up, the smell of the food hits Theo and his stomach growls in response. He turns towards Liam, who is already standing up and pulling his boxers on, and asks “Will the food still be ok?”

Liam nods, walking to the bedroom door as he replies “Yeah it’s just some pasta bake, I’ll go heat it up.” He disappears from Theos view and his footsteps retreats down the stairs.

He’s still wary that his happiness will be ripped from him at any moment, it’s what he’s come to expect from life, but right now he’s too happy and content to even focus on that thought for too long as he stands up, pulls on his boxers and walks towards the bedroom door. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this seemed like a good place to end this part of the story, hopefully you'll see why. I wasn't 100% comfortable writing explicitly the sex scene with them, but I hope it translated well...
> 
> As I said, I do have a few side story plots and some stuff that I was thinking on for later chapters, so I'll be posting those too as other stories as part of a series. If you want to see anything please let me know! 
> 
> Again... Thank you all SO SO SO much for all the love & support you've given to me and this story!! 
> 
> Please let me know your thoughts :)

**Author's Note:**

> As mentioned at the start, please let me know your thoughts and and criticisms too, this is unbeta'd as I've had this sitting ready to post for almost a year now and really wanted to get it posted. Thanks!


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